A double-decker sightseeing bus struck a man walking in Greenwich Village Friday afternoon, dragging him several feet and pinning him beneath the vehicle, fire officials and witnesses said.
A witness told NBC 4 New York the bus was turning left onto West Fourth Street when it struck the man in the crosswalk near Sixth Avenue and dragged him several feet. The witness said the man was screaming as he was being dragged; photos showed blood streaking the pavement near the bus.
A woman who works nearby and ran to help said the man was conscious. She said she repeatedly asked his name, but he kept screaming "at the top of his lungs."
"He really couldn't say his name because it was so, so much excruciating pain," said Shante Service. "When I looked under the bus, his leg was dislocated. I could see flesh and bone."
Another witness said emergency responders had to use blocks to lift the bus off the victim. Police said he was taken to Bellevue Hospital in critical condition with severe injuries to his leg.
Images on social media showed a crowd of bystanders around the scene as police cars and emergency vehicles swarmed the area.
The bus driver remained at the scene. He has not been charged, according to police.
In a statement, a spokesman for the Twin America bus company said, "We are aware of this the accident this afternoon and deeply regret this very unfortunate incident. We are fully cooperating with the authorities while this accident is being investigated."