Police: 2 Tourists From Spain Hit By Bus In Hell's Kitchen
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Two tourists from Spain were seriously injured after being hit by a private bus in Hell's Kitchen on Monday morning.
It happened shortly before 8 a.m. at the intersection of Tenth Avenue and West 47th Street.
Police said the two women were struck by a private tour bus from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania as it was making a turn.
"I just heard like, screams, like 'help, help,'" nearby resident Mark Martinez told WCBS 880's Peter Haskell.
Police: 2 Tourists From Spain Hit By Bus In Hell's Kitchen
Cellphone video captured the immediate aftermath of the crash. One woman, later identified as 62-year-old Maria Bagona, could be seen pinned under the bus while the other victim, identified as Bagona's 50-year-old niece, is seen lying a few feet away.
Bagona was taken to Bellevue Hospital in critical condition with a leg injury, CBS 2's John Slattery reported. The niece suffered a foot injury and was taken to NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center in stable condition.
Witness Rafael Gonzalez said one woman tried to push the other to safety.
"It looked like she pushed her," Gonzalez told CBS 2's Tony Aiello. "Like tried to push her out of the way.
"She was like, 'you OK? You OK?' She was asking her friend, 'you OK?' 'I'm all right. I'm all right. I'm OK,'" he added.
The bus is owned and operated by Trans-Bridge Lines. The bus was empty at the time of incident and was headed to a parking facility, the company said in a statement.
Police said the bus had a green light when it was making the turn, but some who live and work in the area say it's a tough spot for a turn.
"It's tight and it's very tight for a bus of this length," one man said.
"I feel bad. I feel bad. I mean everyone wants to be careful here," neighbor Milano Perin added.
The NYPD's accident reconstruction team spent more than two hours investigating the crash. The bus driver, who had a valid driver's license, later tested negative for alcohol and was not charged, Slattery reported.
The company said it was fully cooperating with authorities.
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