A pursuit of a stolen vehicle ended with an AC Transit bus crashing into a home in Oakland Friday afternoon, injuring eight, the California Highway Patrol said.
Police began pursuing a Toyota Camry in Contra Costa County shortly after 2 p.m. and witnessed the moment the driver crashed into the AC Transit bus, causing it to crash into a home.
The crash occurred in the area of 10th and Market streets in Oakland around 2:20 p.m.
According to the CHP, a bus driver and seven passengers were onboard at the time of the crash. All were taken to the hospital in stable condition.
Four suspects in the stolen car also were injured, with two of them in critical condition, the CHP said.
Sources told NBC Bay Area's Cheryl Hurd that weapons were taken from the stolen car.
After being trapped upstairs for hours, homeowner Daryl Meshack came down to assess the damage to his home Friday.
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“My first concern was the bus driver because the man was moaning and begging for the bystanders to help him,” he said.
Meshack added that he could only see plywood, sheetrock and water in his living room when he looked over his banister. At the time, he had no idea what everyone else was seeing outside. But he heard the chaos.
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“There was screaming going on,” he said. “Less than 30 seconds after that, there was a big bang.”
Mercedes Rodriguez, who is the neighborhood block captain told NBC Bay Area that the crash doesn’t surprise her.
“This is about the third or fourth time we’ve had an accident on this property right here,” she said.
Meshack said something needs to be done to make his corner safer. He said that he would like to see the city or maybe even AC Transit help pay for the damage.
