NEW DETAILS: Driver says he couldn’t stop RIPTA bus before crash

May 9, 2016 7:56 pm

By: Samantha Fenlon

sfenlon@abc6.com

Providence, RI- Nine people including a child and bus driver were rushed to the hospital after a RIPTA bus crashed into a bus shelter right next to a RISD campus building in Providence Monday evening.

Police say many were complaining of neck back and knee pain. We are told that none of the injuries appear to be life threatening.

"We saw people coughing up blood they looked very weak and feeble," said Melissa Danitz.

Danitz is a RISD student. She was walking out of a campus store when she saw the chaos, getting to the scene moments after the bus hit.

"There was a lot of noise and screaming like people saying help, explosion. It’s to much to imagine," said Danitz.

Passengers on the bus behind the crash witnessed the whole thing saying even seeing the crash they still don’t really understand what happened.

"It was out of nowhere. There was no signs of anything, it just crashed," said Tatiana Matthews.

According to a police report, the driver, Andre Blemur, was stopped at a red light at the intersection of N. Main Street. When the light turned green, he said he crossed N. Main and stepped on the brake to stop the bus before the bus shelter, but the bus accelerated instead and he hit a pole. Blemur has been with RIPTA for 13 months. He has since been placed on administrative leave.

We’re told the driver was alert and able to get himself off the bus. No passengers were trapped inside. Multiple witnesses mentioned the bus driver saying he was unable to stop when he got off of the bus following the crash.

Firefighters worked for hours to secure the structure, seen putting up wooden supports in order to get enough stability for the bus to be taken out. The building Inspector was on scene.

State Police were called in to assist in the investigation. There was no comment from RIPTA Monday night.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation.