A semi truck driver failed to stop at the intersection of Stadium Road and Almond Avenue and broadsided a MAX (Madera Area Express) bus, injuring the bus driver and three passengers, according to the Madera Police Department.
The MAX bus was struck Friday evening on it’s left side so forcefully the bus flipped over on to the opposite side, blocking the door and tossing the unseat-belted adult passengers about and forcing them to climb out the back emergency door. The driver of the truck was not injured.
Madera police department public information officer Sgt. Mark Trukki said the nature of the injuries on the bus ranged from slight — complaints of pain to moderate injuries, with all persons taken to local hospitals for further evaluation. The semi truck, without a trailer, was north bound on Stadium Road at an unknown speed when the driver failed to stop. The MAX bus had stopped and was just entering the intersection when it was broadsided by the moving semi truck, according to Trukki.
Speed limits in the area are reportedly 40 mph.
“The semi truck driver stopped and he was tested at the scene (for alcohol and drugs) and there was no indication of impairment. The driver mentioned his brakes were not functioning. The report has been forwarded to the DA’s office and the semi driver could be facing charges for the failure to stop,” Trukki said.
The MAX bus and the semi truck were both damaged and towed from the scene of the accident.