23 injured in West Side Bus Accident

A "low-speed collision" between a Pace bus and another vehicle Tuesday afternoon sent 23 people to the hospital.

Pace spokesman Patrick Wilmot said a vehicle struck a Pace bus making a right turn from West Corcoran Place to North Mayfield Avenue in the Austin neighborhood at about 4 p.m.

“It was a real low-speed collision,” Wilmot said.

Still, 23 people requested to be transported to the hospital, he said.

From the air, NBC Chicago's helicopter witnessed little physical damage to the bus and it was unclear if there was another vehicle involved.

Paramedics took 15 people in fair condition and eight people in good condition to local hospitals, the fire department said. Dispatch reports indicate three of those hospitalized were children.

Wilmot described the crash as a fender-bender and said the damage was primarily scratches, paint transfer and a broken headlight. Police News Affairs Officer Darryl Baety said the crash is being classified as property damage only.

Initially, everyone on the bus said they were fine, but when the first ambulance arrived people decided they wanted to be checked out, Wilmot said.

The fire department said all the patients were stable about 4:30 p.m. Wilmot confirmed none of the injuries were life-threatening.

The bus runs from the suburbs to the Austin Green Line station, and would have just left the station when the crash happened, Wilmot said. The bus was turning around to make westbound run on Route 313 when the crash happened, Wilmot said.

Grand Central Area detectives are investigating.