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Six injured in bus crash

Witnesses say it went airborne before crashing into stores at a St. Petersburg shopping center.

By CASEY CORA and JACOB H. FRIES, Times Staff Writers
Published September 13, 2007

A transportation official peers into an Amscot financial services business at 3266 Central Ave. after a PSTA bus crashed into it .
	[James Borchuck | Times]

ADVERTISEMENT Videos of the crash A harrowing bus ride Aerial of the scene [James Borchuck | Times] Bystanders comfort each other near the scene of an accident where a PSTA bus crashed into an Amscot financial services business.

ST. PETERSBURG - As the runaway bus barrelled through trees, over curbs and into cars Wednesday, people ran for safety.

One tripped and fell.

Wendy Anderson, who witnessed the melee, just prayed.

"Lord, stop the bus."

When the out-of-control PSTA bus finally did stop, after crashing into the front of a check-cashing business, six people were taken to local hospitals. A concrete utility pole was uprooted. Trees were destroyed.

"It looked like something out of that movie Speed, the one with the runaway bus," said Gary Mohler, 53.

The incident began about 9 a.m. as Travis Merriex, driving the No. 2661 bus, picked up two passengers at the terminal at Central Avenue and 32nd Street, police said.

As the second passenger was paying, Merriex suddenly shut the bus door and took off, they said.

The bus struck a fence and tree and veered onto Central, nearly hitting a pedestrian, police said. It jumped the curb on the north side of Central and hit a sign, a tree and a light pole before crossing over Central again, headed south.

Antwan Lane, 34, who watched the bus ricochet from the tree to the pole, thought it was over. But then the wheels started "spinning out of control," he said, and the 35-foot-long bus barreled into the Central Plaza shopping center.

Several witnesses said the 26,000-pound bus went airborne.

Mohler, retired from the Army, had stopped for a pack of Dorals at the Cheap Smokes cigarette shop. He parked his black 2007 Toyota 4Runner, leaving his two terriers, Jake and Jock, in the front seat.

He caught of a glimpse of his truck spinning around.

Then he saw the bus.

It had clipped the back end of his 4Runner, spinning the SUV 90 degrees and over the parking blocks. Jake and Jock were uninjured.

The bus hit another car, pushing the car into James Westerhoff and pinning him against another vehicle, police said.

The bus finally crashed into a portion of an H&R Block tax store and an Amscot check cashing store. Felicia Taylor, 34, was inside waiting to cash a check.

"It didn't look like it was going to stop," said Taylor, her hands and voice still shaking. Taylor ran out the back door, smelling gasoline.

Five of the people, including the bus driver, Merriex, were treated at local hospitals and later released. Westerhoff, the one pinned against a car, was taken to Palms of Pasadena Hospital with several injuries, including broken bones, police said.

Merriex, 37, has been a PSTA driver for a year and has one blemish on his driving record from a minor accident, PSTA spokesman Bob Lasher said. Merriex told police he was taking pain medication and investigators took a blood sample.

No charges have been filed.

"Everything that is possible will be investigated," Lasher said.

Casey Cora can be reached at 813 226-3386 or at ccora@sptimes.com

[Last modified September 12, 2007, 23:24:53]