VANCOUVER — Three people were killed and another was left in critical condition Monday evening after a passenger car slammed into the back of a transit bus, according to Vancouver police.
The red Toyota Corolla was travelling southbound on Granville Street around 6 p.m. when it rear-ended the bus at Nanton Avenue.
“Witnesses reported seeing the car travelling at a high rate of speed and weaving through traffic shortly before the collision,” wrote VPD spokesperson Const. Jana McGuinness in a press release.
Police say the bus was in the process of making a scheduled stop when it was hit by the vehicle.
After the collision, the car spun around backwards and came to rest in bushes on the southwest corner of the street. The engine compartment was pressed far back toward the passenger cabin.
Matthew Millar drove upon the scene moments after the accident and rushed to help.
He said the car was on fire and billowing black smoke when he arrived.
"The most that we could do was just get the flames out and wait for the appropriate equipment to arrive," he said.
Two of the vehicle’s occupants died on the scene and another died on the way to hospital. Police have not yet confirmed the identity of the victims.
None of the passengers on the bus were hurt in the accident.
Claudio Puyssegur said he was riding on the bus when it was hit. He was dozing off at the back of the bus on the passenger side when he was awoken by the impact.
“It was pretty traumatic,” Puyssegur said of the accident.
"We got out of the bus and we saw the car was smoking and there was… pandemonium," he said. “The fire department got there really quick, as did the ambulance.”
Granville Street between 25th and 28th avenues was closed to all traffic immediately after the accident, causing buses to be re-routed between 41st and King Edward.
Police expected to re-open the street by 11 p.m.
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