By Ivan Pereira
A city bus that struck a light pole and two vehicles before plowing into a tractor trailer Friday afternoon in Queens Village did not cause any serious injuries, officials said.
The driver of an empty Q46 bus was heading south on the Clearview Expressway service road just before 2 p.m. on his way to return the bus to a depot when he lost control of the vehicle, police and eyewitnesses said. The bus missed pedestrians on the sidewalk but struck a van and SUV that were traveling east on Hillside Avenue and ultimately crashed into a Goya food truck that was parked outside the New Giant Farm supermarket, according to authorities.
Crews took hours to upright the truck, which was leaning on its right side with the bus stuck inside it.
The driver, two passengers from the van and two passengers from the SUV were taken to undisclosed hospitals for treatment of minor injuries, police said. The cause of the crash is still under investigation, according to police.
Daneek Miller, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union in southeast Queens, praised the driver’s quick-thinking tactics for averting a more serious catastrophe.
“My guy’s professional,” he said. “This could have been an uglier situation.”
Reach reporter Ivan Pereira by e-mail at ipereira@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4546.
