KMB bus crashes into stalled truck
A bus driver was badly hurt and 10 passengers were injured when his double-decker slammed into a truck that had broken down in Lai Chi Kok.
The driver, 59, was trapped unconscious in his bus and was freed by firemen.
The truck driver, 45, was directing motorists around his stalled vehicle in Kwai Chung Road, near Princess Margaret Hospital, when the route 58X bus hit it at about 2pm yesterday.
The impact catapulted the truck from the centre lane of the five-lane road to the left lane, where it came to a stop. Its cargo compartment burst open, scattering boxes of chilled seafood across the road.
The truck driver said he was lucky to escape unhurt. 'If I had not dodged immediately, I might have been badly injured.' He said it appeared the bus did not brake or slow down.
The front of the Kowloon Motor Bus vehicle was seriously damaged.
Police said the driver suffered multiple injuries and was undergoing surgery in the hospital last night. Eight women and two men were treated at the same hospital for minor injuries.
The accident caused a traffic jam for about two hours. Both vehicles were towed to a government plant in Tuen Mun for inspection. The New Territories South traffic unit is investigating.
KMB said the driver joined the company in 1978 and had been driving the route for about 10 years. The 13-year-old bus passed an inspection on September 6.
