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12 Hurt When SUV Strikes MTA Bus, Crashes Onto Curb In Harlem

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A dozen people were rushed to the hospital after an accident involving a sports utility vehicle and a city bus in East Harlem Saturday afternoon.

NYPD and FDNY crews responded to reports of multiple people struck by a livery cab near the corner of Park Avenue and 125th Street just after noon.

Police say a 58-year-old man was driving a Cadillac Escalade westbound on 125th when he rear ended a Metropolitan Transportation Authority bus, mounted the sidewalk, and struck two pedestrians.

In total, 12 people were injured. All of the victims were taken to Harlem Hospital and are expected to survive.

East Harlem SUV Hits MTA Bus
A dozen people were rushed to the hospital after an accident involving a sports utility vehicle and a city bus Saturday afternoon. (credit: 1010 WINS/Carol D'Auria)

Residents surrounded the SUV, calling out to the driver, whose legs were pinned, CBS2's Dave Carlin reported.

"I felt that we were going to get pinned to the wall, the Wendy's or the concrete there," witness Lisa Pedraza said. "When it started sinning, it was still coming at us, we squeezed out of the way. And it spun that back end around and it hit a couple people that were right next to us."

"When I saw it coming, I ran into the cubby hole so I didn't get hit. Otherwise, I would have been on the ground too," witness China Burke said. 

The driver was the most seriously hurt. Among the other victims were police officer who were injured while trying to get the trapped SUV driver out of his vehicle, Carlin reported.

"The driver was pinned very bad, and all I could see is a piece of his arm. I screamed at everybody to go try the other doors on the other side," Pedraza added. "They came with the jaws of life, and they were able to get him out there."

He was driving with a female passenger at the time of the crash, according to police. She was also rescued and taken to the hospital.

"They were able to get the lady in the back out, and she was very bloody, cut up. She was still holding a dollar bill in her hand in just total shock," Pedrazaz said.

Police sources tell WCBS 880's Myles Miller the driver of the Escalade works for Uber and has a medical condition which caused him to hit the gas and strike the back of the bus between Park and Madison Avenues.

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