Spray-startled driver crashes bus

A No.123 bus driver got spooked by the spray from a passing sprinkler truck before he crashed his vehicle into another bus during rush hour Wednesday morning in Hongkou district, the company that runs the bus line said Wednesday.

The accident left four passengers injured and three vehicles damaged, said a department manager surnamed Yan with Shanghai No.1 Bus Co Ltd, which runs the No.123 line.

The accident occurred around 8:20 am on No.2 Zhongshan Road North after the sprinkler truck doused a No.123 bus's windshield, startling the driver, Yan said.

The bus veered into another lane and crashed into a No.960 bus waiting at the intersection of Huihe Road, according to a report in the Xinmin Evening News.

The force of the crash knocked the No.960 bus into the car in front of it. Meanwhile, the No.123 bus careened onto the sidewalk and crashed into a wall.

Several passengers on the two buses were knocked off their feet.

The injured passengers suffered minor scrapes, Yan told the Global Times.

The crash caved in the No.123 bus's front end and left the No.960 bus with a shattered rear window, according to the newspaper report.

Yan said the No.123 bus's driver has a good driving record, but the company will punish him if they find out he mishandled the vehicle.

Traffic police were still investigating the crash Wednesday.