Car veered in front of school bus that crashed into Parkville building, police say
Baltimore County Police say a car that veered into oncoming traffic caused a school bus to crash into a building Tuesday afternoon in Parkville.
Detectives said a Ford Focus crossed into the opposite lane toward the bus, which was carrying students from the Maryland School for the Blind. The bus then crashed into a pharmacy.
The crash happened around 2:25 p.m. Tuesday on Harford Road near Taylor Avenue.
The bus driver, a child on board and an adult, who was not on the bus, ended up at the hospital with minor injuries, according to the Baltimore County Fire Department. Two additional children from the bus and eight other people from the scene were evaluated but were not taken to the hospital.
Baltimore County Police added the Ford Focus also struck a Nissan Altima. The crash remains under investigation.
"That could have been me"
Lee Lee, the owner of Being LuvLee Hair Care and Design, said her drive to work Wednesday required a higher level of attention to Harford Road. Her shop is just doors down from the crash scene.
"We heard a boom," she said. "We assumed that it was thunder."
Not long after, Lee Lee said she saw police vehicles and an ambulance race by her business. That's when she learned about the crash.
"That could've been me," said Lee Lee.
Lee Lee said she couldn't imagine if it were her business that was struck. She questioned what she would have done.
"And if I would have had enough time to get away, having a customer in front of the window," she said.
"We were sitting at the red light and we just felt like we just got hit a few times, hard," a witness told WJZ-TV. She said the bus then ended up inside the building.
Recent crashes into buildings in Baltimore County
This incident comes after an MTA bus crashed into a FedEx building in Pikesville two weeks ago, and a truck hit a home in Dundalk last week.
AAA Spokesperson Ragina Ali said when driving around larger vehicles, it's important to keep your distance and drive free of distractions.
"Being very mindful that many times you may be in their blind spot if you're next to them," Ali said. "Very importantly, making sure you're observing the speed limit and able to obviously maneuver in a defensive manner."
Ali said, across the U.S., a vehicle crashes into a building about 60 times a day.
"The causes of those could certainly vary, but in most cases, it's some sort of driver error or pedal misapplication where the driver may intend to brake but unintentionally presses the accelerator," Ali said. "Distraction or driver inattention is a factor in these sorts of crashes, as well."
