Emergency responders received reports that an SUV driver allegedly ran a red light, leading to a collision that caused a bus to lose control on Lane Cove Road near Epping Road in North Ryde shortly after 9 a.m.
The crash resulted in injuries to several individuals, including the bus driver, nine passengers aboard the bus, and one occupant of the SUV.
The bus driver was trapped in his seat after the building’s awning pierced through the windshield of the bus.
Three individuals were transported to Royal North Shore Hospital for further medical attention. These included the bus driver, the SUV driver, and one of the bus passengers.
No passengers were present in the SUV at the time of the accident.
Authorities are currently conducting an investigation to determine the exact circumstances that led to the incident.
“It was very frightening, I thought the driver died, the thing just popped him right in the chest but he survived,” bus passenger Nikhil Sigh said.
Fire and Rescue NSW officer Craig Burchmore said the bus driver was lucky to survive the crash.
“I actually got a chance to speak with the driver as he was being taken out of the bus,” Burchmore said.
“He was conscious, he was aware but he had a nasty gash over his eye.
“The compartment where he was sitting was completely destroyed so it’s an absolute miracle that he’s still alive.”
Burchmore said the building now had major structural damage following the crash.
“It’s going to need an engineer’s inspection,” he said.
“I would say it’s going to be out of action for some time.”
Sydney resident Joel Nader was in the waiting room of the physiotherapist office inside the building when he heard a “massive bang”.
“The building was shaking and everyone was kind of panicking,” Nader said.
“We all just ran downstairs and we went down the back of a building.
“I walked out and I saw a bus into the building and I was like, ‘What?’ I’m shocked, right.
“Then I looked and I saw my mum’s car [in the medical centre car park] got hit.
“Luckily we weren’t in the car, thank god.
“It was just random, a bus had hit the building, everyone was wondering what was going on, it was crazy.”
Motorists were told to expect delays and exercise caution due to heavy traffic in the area.
