Four adults are in critical condition a day after an open-air tour bus in San Francisco careened out of control, running down a cyclist, striking two pedestrians and smashing into several moving cars before ploughing into scaffolding at a construction site.
What began as a serene tour through one of the most picturesque US cities turned into a two-block ride of terror as the big blue double-decker bus careened through the city's Union Square before it ploughed to a stop amid a heap of twisted metal.
Twenty people were hurt and at least 30 passengers were on board when the crash occurred shortly before 3pm on Friday.
San Francisco General Hospital spokesman Brent Andrew said six victims still in its care suffer from facial and head injuries as well as fractured ribs, arms and legs. Some have organ injuries.
The patients in critical condition are two men and two women. Two other men are in serious condition. Andrew declined to share any details of a minor who was also admitted to the hospital on Friday night.
Firefighters had to extricate the two pedestrians, who ended up trapped under the bus, and a passenger trapped on the upper deck.
The driver was conscious and able to speak when firefighters pulled him from the wreckage, Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White said. But she added it was too early to speculate about what caused the crash.
Officials are still trying to determine what happened, San Francisco Police Department spokesman Albie Esparza said Saturday.
Union Square is one of the city's most popular tourist destinations with several high-end stores as well as its Union Square Park and skating rink. The scaffolding was in front of what is going to be a new Apple store.
Several upscale hotels are also located near the square, which was crowded with shoppers and tourists on what had been a pleasant day.
Witnesses said the bus raced across two city blocks, hitting the bicyclist, the pedestrians and striking several moving cars before ramming into the scaffolding. Wrecked cars were scattered up and down the street.
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