Stanford Report, Jan. 16, 2004

Six passengers injured in Marguerite shuttle crash

Six passengers riding aboard a Stanford shuttle bus were injured when the bus collided with the boom of a construction crane Thursday morning, university police said.

The accident occurred around 6:45 a.m. near a campus construction site on Welch Road and Pasteur Drive. According to University Department of Public Safety Lt. Del Bandy, the crane operator had just parked at the construction site and had not yet had time to lift the arm out of the roadway when the bus drove by.

The upper-right section of the C-line Marguerite shuttle struck the crane and knocked many of the 20 passengers out of their seats, Bandy said. Several passengers reported that darkness and fog may have played a role in the collision.

Six passengers were transported to nearby Stanford Hospital. Three complained of back pain, one had a shoulder injury, one had an arm injury and one sustained hip and knee injuries Bandy said. The bus driver also complained of pain to his shoulder but said he would take himself to the hospital.

The California Highway Patrol is handling the accident investigation.