New video shows chaotic MTA bus crash that injured 36 in Baltimore County

Security camera video obtained by CBS News Baltimore shows the moments when an MTA bus driver lost control and hit several vehicles before crashing into a building in Pikesville, Maryland, on Wednesday.

Baltimore County Police said 36 people were injured after the bus hit about a dozen cars before slamming into a FedEx building on Reisterstown Road. 

The bus driver was flown to the hospital in critical condition, but a co-worker said he is expected to survive and has a broken neck.

Neha Gupta, the owner of Neha Threading Salon, said the bus drove into opposing traffic, hit an electric pole, damaged her business sign, and took out a lamppost.

"If my sign had not been there, we could have been hit," Gupta said.

There is no word on what caused the crash.

On Friday, the Maryland Medical Center confirmed that all but one of the patients transported to the hospital after the crash had been released.

"It's traumatizing, big time"

Gupta and other business owners on the road said they heard a loud boom. 

When they got outside, they saw multiple cars struck, one of them flipped over. They also noticed the bus jammed into the FedEx building.

"Everybody started crying. I started crying," Gupta said. "People were bleeding, and a couple of people were sitting on the floor of the bus."

"Passengers coming out," said Arie Glazer with Uptown Jewelers. "The driver was trapped. Horrific scene."

Glazer started tearing up, thinking about the chaotic scene and seeing the driver helpless.

"I pray for his health," Glazer said.

Another video on the corner of Reisterstown and Old Court Roads shows the bus sideswipe a white SUV before the crash, chipping off a couple of pieces.

As Baltimore County Crash Team detectives work to understand the cause of the incident, some are reminded of how busy and dangerous this stretch of road can be for drivers and pedestrians.

"There are crashes here on a regular basis," said Tom Fekete, the vice president of the Pikesville Improvement Corporation. "That corner is running, in terms of reportable crashes, about a rate of 50, 60 a year."

 "We're not here to determine how it happened, why it happened," Brody, the president of the Pikesville Improvement Corporation, said. "We just want answers on how this can be fixed in the future."

WJZ has reached out to MTA for comment and have not heard back.

The mental health impacts

Licensed Counselor Adam Miller of the University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health's Klein Family Center in Bel Air says being involved in or even witnessing crashes like this can have a tremendous impact on mental health.

"Things like this can retrigger you and bring up other different emotions and memories," Miller explained.

He stressed the importance of recognizing the warning signs and knowing when to seek help.

"If you start to notice a few weeks later persistent nightmares, inability to sleep, flashbacks while sleeping, your work obligations and personal obligations are impacted, it's starting to be hard to focus to maintain your routine or you're starting to isolate, those types of things may be signs that it's time to talk to a pro," Miller said.

People who have witnessed or been involved in traumatic events should avoid making major changes to their schedule, he added. 

Another recommendation is to take a break from social media and resist the urge to turn to alcohol or substances to feel better.  

Journaling may also help you process your pain.