COTA bus crashes into auto repair shop wall, injuring 3 and destroying sports car

Dean Narciso, Columbus Dispatch
Updated ·2 min read
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Three people sustained minor injuries Friday afternoon, Aug. 25, 2023, when the bus was forced off the road by another driver, missed utility poles, gas pumps at a Speedway station, and propane tanks before crashing through the rear wall at Wayne's Auto Repair at 5995 Westerville Road in Blendon Township. The bus was heavily damaged, as was a BMW Roadster inside the garage. Blendon Township firefighters were initially concerned about compressed natural gas tanks atop the bus that might have been damaged in the crash.

Mechanics at a Wayne's Auto Repair near Westerville were trying to determine the cause of a gasoline leak on a BMW Roadster Friday afternoon when a Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) bus crashed through a concrete block wall of their garage, smashing into the sports car and throwing one of the mechanics across a garage bay.

"We were minding our business, and the next thing we know there were blocks and debris everywhere," said Nick McHugh, manager of the import and domestic vehicle repair business' operation at the southwest corner of Westerville and Dempsey roads in Blendon Township.

The COTA bus was southbound on Westerville Road about 3 p.m. when Blendon Township police say a southbound SUV in the next lane suddenly cut over, forcing the bus driver to take evasive action. The bus went off the west side of the road, jumped a curb, straddled utility and light poles and a bed of flowers before missing the pumps at a Speedway gas station and crashing through the rear concrete block wall of the garage — narrowly missing propane tanks outside the garage.

"It was like an IED," McHugh said of the scene inside the garage, referring to the blast of an improvised explosive device. "It was scary, it was fast. It was really loud."

The driver of the bus, who has not been named, was taken to Mount Carmel St. Ann's Hospital in Westerville for treatment of minor injuries. The lone passenger on the bus and an employee inside the auto shop were treated at the scene for minor injuries, police said.

A COTA employee assesses the damage to compressed natural gas tanks atop a transit bus after it crashed through a concrete block wall Friday afternoon, Aug. 25, 2023, at Wayne's Auto Repair, 5995 Westerville Road, in Blendon Township. The bus driver, the lone bus passenger and a mechanic in the shop sustained minor injuries in the crash, which township police say occurred after the COTA bus was forced off Westerville Road by another vehicle.

The SUV driver, whose name wasn't immediately available, was charged with making an unsafe lane change, a minor misdemeanor.

The front half of the COTA bus remained embedded in the shop for two hours before it could be pulled out. Compressed natural gas cannisters on the roof of the bus were damaged, worrying the Blendon Township Fire Department.

"All of this could have been a lot worse," said Blendon Fire Chief Brian Miller. "It's a busy corner. A lot of people. We were really fortunate."

Jeff Pullin, COTA spokesperson, said serious COTA bus accidents are rare.

"The last time we had something like this was 2019," said Pullin.

The COTA Plus bus involved was an on-demand service for Columbus' Northeast Side, Pullin said, explaining why only one passenger was aboard.

A gaping hole was left in the rear wall of Wayne's Auto Repair on Friday afternoon, Aug. 25, 2023, after police say a COTA bus forced off the road by another vehicle crashed through the rear wall of the shop at 5995 Westerville Road in Blendon Township. The bus driver, a passenger and a mechanic inside the repair shop sustained minor injuries, police say. A BMW Roadster owned by Michael Opritza that was undergoing repairs was heavily damaged after the bus knocked it backwards toward the garage bay opening.

As for the BMW Roadster, it was expected to be a total loss, said owner Michael Opritza.

"I had just called them because it had been there a few days. They said 'I'm going to give it to you straight. You'll see it in the news. A bus crashed through the garage and your car's totaled.' "

"At least I have another," Opritza said outside the garage, pointing to a restored 1969 Mustang.

dnarciso@dispatch.com

@DeanNarciso

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: COTA bus forced off road crashes into auto repair shop, injuring 3