8 people hospitalized in MTA bus crash in Midtown-Belvedere

Eight people were hospitalized early Thursday after two cars and a Maryland Transit Administration bus collided in Midtown-Belvedere, authorities said.

The crash, which involved a CityLink Green bus, took place shortly before 1:15 a.m. in the 100 block of East Preston Street, which intersects with St. Paul Street, according to the Baltimore City Fire Department. The block is a mixture of apartments and businesses, including a nail salon and a hair salon.

The fire department’s Special Operations Command conducted a “complex extrication” involving one of the vehicles, according to the department. Images posted by the department appear to show a vehicle partially under the bus and pinned against a traffic light pole as firefighters respond.

The injuries ranged from very serious to minor, according to the department.

The investigation into the crash is ongoing and no further details are available at this time, said Courtney Mims, a spokesperson for MTA.

Vehicle debris, shattered glass on the sidewalk and a leaning pole were all that remained around 8 p.m. Thursday.

The CityLink Green was running normally, and cars came and went as they do — although parts of St. Paul Street were blocked off earlier in the day, residents said.

Waking up to the sound of emergency vehicles’ sirens and seeing their flashing lights glaring through their windows are not abnormal for residents. Some didn’t even think to look. But seeing photos of an MTA bus on top of a small car left their mouths agape.

It’s the second incident involving the MTA in Baltimore in just over two weeks. An MTA train fatally struck a man at the Shot Tower Metro station March 3.

This story has been updated.

Banner reporter Darreonna Davis contributed to this story.