SEPTA: Driver in S. Phila. bus mishap wasn't buckled in

THE WOMAN behind the wheel of a SEPTA bus that nearly hit a freight train in South Philly on Tuesday lost control when she fell out of her seat, as seen in footage released yesterday by the transit authority.

The unidentified driver was not wearing her seat belt, a violation of SEPTA guidelines, according to spokeswoman Jerri Williams.

"Had she had her seat belt on, the likelihood of this accident would have been greatly diminished," said Williams.

The crash happened about 6:05 p.m., not long after the Route 29 bus left its station of origin near Pier 70 in South Philly. The bus was supposed to head south on Columbus Boulevard, then turn right onto Tasker Street, Williams said.

But a stopped CSX train was blocking the bus, so the driver headed a block north to make a U-turn near Dickinson Street. As she made the turn, the driver, a 10-year employee of SEPTA, apparently cut it too closely, causing her to lose her balance and fall from her seat.

In surveillance footage taken from inside the bus, the woman can be seen slipping to the floor and then clinging to the steering wheel as the bus veers toward the nearby train tracks.

The bus missed the stopped train, but the impact from popping over the median smashed the bus windshield and violently launched two female passengers from their seats.

Workers from the nearby freight train rushed to help the bus occupants. Williams commended the men for their quick response, which included shutting off the vehicle's engine.

Lauren Ferrett, a Bella Vista resident, watched the crash unfold as she drove to a nearby craft store.

"I realized [the driver] wasn't making a U-turn onto the road but onto the train tracks, and the driver got stuck there," she told the Daily News on Tuesday. "That's when I went, 'Oh, man, that's not good. Something's wrong.' "

The female passengers were taken to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital with nonlife-threatening injuries, Williams said.

A third passenger was uninjured, as was the driver.

Williams said the driver underwent medical and drug testing in the wake of the crash, per standard SEPTA procedure.

She declined to release the results of those tests, saying they're a "personnel matter."

It was unclear if the woman would lose her job.

"Appropriate disciplinary action will be taken once we complete our investigation," Williams said. "That includes many options, including termination."