Four injured as Hong Kong double-decker bus mounts pavement, leaving 25m trail of destruction
Driver tells police he stepped on accelerator instead of brake while making left turn
A double-decker bus mounted the pavement and mowed down some scaffolding, railings, a traffic sign and a lamp post in the New Territories on Wednesday morning, leaving a 25-metre trail of destruction.
Initial investigations showed the driver apparently hit the wrong pedal at the time of the crash, which happened in Sha Tin at about 5.15am.
The Kowloon Motor Bus double-decker on route N271 was negotiating a left bend on Sha Tin Centre Street when it careered out of control, said Albert Chang Ching-man, an inspector from the New Territories South traffic unit.
“The driver claimed he accidentally stepped on the accelerator instead of the brake pedal while making a left turn,” he added.
Chang said the vehicle mounted the pavement outside phase three of New Town Plaza, where it knocked down a 25-metre section of metal railings, a bamboo work platform, a traffic sign and a lamp post, and also damaged a concrete flower bed.
“After running on the pavement for about 25 metres, it came to a stop when the lamp post went underneath the vehicle and jammed into one of the axles,” said Chang, adding no passers-by were hit.
The cause of the accident was being investigated by the accident and support division of New Territories South traffic unit.
The bus driver, 50, and three passengers – including two women aged 24 and 28 – were treated for minor injuries at Prince of Wales Hospital. All four were later discharged.
Kowloon Motor Bus sent messages of sympathy to the injured.
The company said the bus, a Trident E500 Turbo, had been in operation for almost two years and had passed its monthly inspection on April 20.
The front and right sides of the vehicle were damaged, and its front bumper broke off in the crash. Police said debris, including bamboo poles and damaged railings, was scattered on the pavement.
Chang said the site was not a traffic black spot.
The driver, who suffered minor hand injuries, passed a breathalyser test.
KMB said the bus captain was working the overnight shift and that his most recent day off was April 25.
A Lek Yuen-bound section of Sha Tin Centre Street was closed to all traffic for more than five hours until the bus was towed away.
