New York City, NY — July 2, 2025, at least twelve people were injured due to a bus accident just after 6:00 a.m. along 9th Avenue.

According to authorities, the accident took place at a bus terminal in the vicinity of the 9th Avenue and 41st Street intersection.

Details surrounding the accident remain scarce. Officials indicate that, for as yet unknown reasons, three buses were involved in a collision. At least twelve people suffered injuries of unknown severity, according to preliminary reports. Those who necessitated it were transported to local medical facilities by EMS in order to receive necessary treatment. Additional details pertaining to this incident—including the identities of the victims—are not available at this point in time. The investigation is currently ongoing.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When a crash involving three buses sends more than a dozen people to the hospital, especially in a confined area like a terminal near 9th Avenue, the key question isn’t just who’s at fault—it’s how three large vehicles were able to come into conflict in the first place. Terminals are supposed to be controlled environments with slow speeds, clear traffic patterns, and professional operators. When a collision like this occurs, it typically signals a breakdown in one or more of those safeguards.

The most immediate factor to investigate is spacing and visibility. Bus terminals can be congested, with vehicles entering and exiting loading bays, pedestrians crossing lanes, and blind spots created by the size of the vehicles themselves. If one bus was backing up, maneuvering into a berth, or accelerating too quickly from a stop, that may have left little time for the others to react. In those cases, dash cam footage and onboard video systems will be essential to reconstruct how close each vehicle was and whether proper clearance was maintained.

Another concern is driver coordination. In facilities where multiple carriers or drivers operate simultaneously, confusion about routes, platform assignments, or traffic flow can easily lead to misjudged maneuvers. I’ve worked on cases where a driver relied on outdated terminal layouts or unclear signals from ground staff, only to end up in the path of another vehicle. Investigators should be asking whether terminal procedures were followed, and whether drivers were properly briefed on route changes or congestion issues that morning.

There’s also the possibility of mechanical failure. A stuck accelerator, delayed braking response, or steering issue on any of the buses involved could explain an inability to avoid impact—especially in a low-speed environment where even a few extra feet of movement can cause injury in a crowded space. Full mechanical inspections should be completed on all three vehicles to rule out equipment defects or maintenance lapses.

Lastly, the operational context matters. Were these buses running behind schedule, pushing drivers to move faster than the conditions allowed? Were there any staffing shortages or miscommunications that might have affected how safely the terminal was running? These background factors often don’t appear in crash reports but become important when assigning responsibility.

Key Takeaways

• A multi-bus collision in a terminal zone suggests potential failures in spacing, visibility, or traffic coordination.
• Dash cams and onboard surveillance footage will be crucial in determining how the buses moved relative to one another.
• Terminal procedures—including berth assignments and signaling—should be reviewed to see whether operational confusion played a role.
• All three vehicles need full mechanical inspections to rule out brake, steering, or acceleration issues.
• Understanding how this crash occurred requires more than assigning blame—it requires unpacking whether the terminal environment was safe and well-managed.