A bus driver was killed and two others were injured when a stolen delivery truck crashed into a bus at a West Village intersection Wednesday morning, authorities say.
Police say a 22-year-old man is suspected of stealing the truck from a nearby business on 16th Street, and driving it down Seventh Avenue, where he crashed into the M14 bus that was going east on 14th Street.
The force of the crash sent the bus and truck careening into scaffolding on the southeast corner of the intersection.
A passenger on the bus was injured, along with a person riding a scooter who was hit by the truck before it slammed into the bus, police said.
The man who allegedly stole the truck was also being treated for injuries. Charges are pending, police said.
A man who hands out free newspapers in the area told NBC 4 New York he heard the collision, then saw the bus and truck careen toward the scaffolding as well as a food truck that operates nearby.
The MTA identified the bus driver as 49-year-old William Pena, of Hillside, N.J., a married father of a teen girl who is a 17-year veteran of the agency.
Richard Davis, the chairman of the public transit union representing Pena, said in a statement: "Brother Pena was such a good person, a good family man, husband and father. He was a great worker, great record on the job, really well liked."
"I've never seen Quill depot this quiet," Davis added, referring to the bus depot out of which Pena worked.
Photo Credit: Janet Paist