On Monday at approximately 2:30 p.m., a Bursley-Baits bus accident occurred at 1100 Block Fuller Road, according to Melissa Overton, deputy chief of police & public information officer for the University of Michigan Police Department. About 20 passengers were aboard the bus and there were no reported injuries.
“(The bus) slid off the road crashed into a small tree,” Overton wrote in an email response to The Daily.
Public Health senior Olajumoke Jegede was on the bus when the accident occurred. Jegede told The Daily in a statement she fell out of her seat and was afraid the bus would tip over.
“Our bus hit a tree. It was scary because we were afraid the bus would tip over for a moment,” Jegede wrote. “I had fallen out of my seat when the bus spun out and when I got back up, we were facing traffic on the side of the road, thankfully, and the windshield was cracked. Thankfully no one was hurt, but someone definitely could have been. I think there needs to be more consideration for students and other commuters in terms of travelling to class in weather like this.”
LSA sophomore Juliana Rose was on a different Bursley-Baits bus, which passed the scene of the accident earlier today. Rose said she saw police cars and tow trucks near the bus, and traffic was moving slowly in the area surrounding the crash.
“We just saw it on the side of the road,” Rose said. “There were tow trucks, police cars, all the traffic is moving slow … I was like, ‘Oh wow, I hope that doesn’t happen to me. I don’t want to be stuck out in the snow.’ (Our bus) was sliding a little bit when we were turning corners.”
LSA sophomore Grace Miller was on a Commuter North bus, which was stopped just before the crash. Miller watched tow trucks pull the bus back onto the street and said there were students, faculty and hospital workers on her bus, which stopped for approximately 10 minutes.
“We’re really quiet but this one lady asked to get off because we’re literally not moving,” Miller said. “We’re just stopped. People are trying to get home from work before it gets worse.