A bus has caused significant damage after a collision with a truck, causing it to crash off the side of the road this afternoon where Balgowlah and Manly Vale intersect.
Emergency services arrived on the scene just after 1 pm following reports of a bus veering off the road at the intersection of Condamine Street and Burnt Bridge Creek Deviation.Â
A representative from Northern Beaches buses private operator Keolis Downer told Manly Observer the driver was uninjured and there were no passengers on the bus, though stated the property damage inflicted was not insignificant.
Paramedics treated both drivers for minor injuries and both refused transportation to the hospital.
The front of the bus was significantly damaged, missing one quarter of its frame adjacent to the driver’s section of the bus, as well as all the glass shattered. The truck involved looked to have one minor damage on its bumper.
Driver fault has not been formally established.
Clean-up patrols were seen picking up vehicle parts along the side of the road. While a traffic light was torn from the ground and a concrete barrier separating the road and walkway at the beginning of Burnt Bridge Creek Deviation was cracked, revealing what looked to be the missing frame from the front of the bus sticking out of the wall.
This is the second time in seven months a bus has lost control and crashed in the area. The last time happened was on Taree Street, North Balgowlah, where 14 passengers escaped injury after the driver mismaneuvered a tight junction and collided the vehicle with a residential property.
Keolis Downer says it’s currently unknown what caused the accident and that it is still under investigation.
It issued a formal statement this afternoon: “This afternoon, a collision occurred between a truck and a Keolis Northern Beaches Bus at the intersection of Condamine Street and Burnt Bridge Creek Deviation. The circumstances of the collision are still under investigation and Keolis are assisting the authorities.
We are thankful that both drivers have no major injuries. The bus was not in service at the time and there were no passengers on board. No other road users and bystander sustained injuries.”
As Manly Observer was departing the scene today the tow truck driver was assessing the complicated extraction, with a large sign reading “Keolis” fully embedded into the brick wall.
