Six people were hurt Monday afternoon when an MTA bus crashed into a pillar underneath the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Drive in Manhattan, fire officials said.
The QM11 bus crashed into a pillar near an overpass on East 34th Street at around 4:30 p.m., according to the FDNY and MTA.
It's not clear what caused the crash.
But a worker in the area who witnessed it said he saw the bus coming down the highway "and I guess he didn't see there was a curve, or he was just coming too fast, but he just grinded onto the curve and he hit the pole and then he stopped."
The bus tipped over slightly, jamming the doors shut. Passengers were stuck inside for about 15 minutes, and the FDNY had to take the doors off when they arrived.
Six people were hurt, including the driver, according to fire officials. Two people were taken Bellevue Hospital with non-life threatning injuries, and a third -- seen being taken off the bus on a stretcher and onto an ambulance -- was taken to NYU with chest pains.
Three others had bumps and bruises. The FDNY initially said at least nine people were injured.
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One woman on the bus, Bettina Waterman, said it "was very scary. I've never experienced anything like this -- I've been riding 38 years on the bus, and I've never been in an accident."
She added the bus driver simply told them he lost control and that he seemed very "remorseful" and apologetic.
Another passenger, Aaron Young, said he felt the driver was going too fast around a curve.
The DOT has been notified and are responding to determine the structural soundness of the pillar.
Motorists are advised to avoid the area if possible.
The QM11 is an MTA express bus that travels between downtown Manhattan and the Rego Park neighborhood of Queens.
