Dashcam video captures moment Muni bus crashed into San Francisco building
SAN FRANCISO (KGO) -- An SFMTA Muni bus driver is in critical condition after crashing a bus into a building on Lombard Street between Scott and Pierce Monday morning.
RELATED: Muni driver injured after bus crashes into SF building
One passenger is in fair condition.
Jenish Patel just installed a dash camera in his car two months ago after someone hit his car. On Monday, it captured the bus crossing the median and crashing into a tree and a building under construction.
VIDEO: Surveillance video captures Muni bus crash in SF
Patel was driving west on Lombard Street to a 6 a.m. yoga class. He says if he didn't have the video, he would hardly believe what he saw.
"Suddenly, I saw a big bus coming from the other side, jumping over the divider and coming over my way. And I was literally shocked," Patel said.
Without skipping a beat, Patel slowed down and pulled over left. "I feel like, you know, lucky today," he said.
SFMTA says the driver was a 66-year-old longtime Muni bus operator. The driver was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. Three passengers were also transported, according to a hospital spokesperson.
The driver is in critical condition and one passenger is in fair condition.
"Oh my god, it's horrible," said Arpit Garg, who was visiting from Dallas.
Days Inn Lombard Street guests say they heard a long honk followed by a big bang. "When the tree snapped, it sounded like thunder outside," said Davonte Robinson, who was visiting from Sacramento.
"The tree saved us," said motel employee Kavita Grover. She says had it not been for the tree, she's not sure what would have happened to her guests, including a man staying right above where the collision occurred.
"He said like I will come back. I said do you want the same room and he said that's the lucky room for me," Grover said.
The street was closed for several hours, costing Toscalito Tires more than $10,000 in business. "It just kind of shut us down," employee Loren Winfrey said. "We have no cars going in, no cars going out, no parts, no tires, nothing gets delivered."
SFMTA says each Muni bus has 10 to 12 cameras on it. SFPD is investigating the crash and says it could take several weeks or longer to determine the cause.
