MILWAUKEE — A bus driver and five passengers were brought to the hospital after a Milwaukee County Transit System bus and a school bus crashed at a Milwaukee public library Friday morning.
The crash happened at West Fond Du Lac Ave and West Center Street. That area is taped off and traffic is being rerouted.
TMJ4 News' Ubah Ali reports the MCTS bus and a school bus crashed, forcing the school bus into the Center Street Library.
A spokesperson for MCTS said the MCTS bus driver and five people on board that bus were brought to the hospital. Their statement reads:
"At 6:05 a.m. this morning, a school bus made contact in the intersection of FDL and Center with a BlueLine MCTS bus traveling SE. The MCTS bus operator and five passengers were transported to a local hospital for evaluation. Our thoughts are with everyone involved."
A city of Milwaukee official tells TMJ4 News that no library staff or patrons inside the library were injured because the crash happened before the building opened for the day.
The official continued that Center Street library will be closed on Friday while damage is assessed. Department of Public Works crews are there boarding up a damaged window, the official said.
A Milwaukee Public Schools official tells TMJ4 News that the involved school bus is not one of their buses. A company called The Bus Stop said they own the school bus.
Residents who live in the area say they are accustomed to seeing car crashes, but they're shocked to see buses involved.
Will Hunter has lived in the area for eight years and said that the intersection is very dangerous.
"I was sleep and I was woken up by the crash," Hunter said. "In a period of a week or two weeks, there was at least one accident. There might be another one today over here."
Eileen Force Cahill is the Director of Community Relations at Center Street Library, and she said this isn't the first time the library has been impacted.
"By design our libraries are in heavily visible, high-traffic intersections. That's to make it accessible to patrons as possible," Force Cahill said. She added that the only downside to that is exactly what happened today.
Center Street Library will be closed for the remainder of the day Friday, and library officials say it's likely that it will be closed Saturday, as crews continue to access structural damage.
The Milwaukee Police Department is investigating the crash.
Stay with TMJ4 News as we learn more. This article will be updated with the latest information.
#BREAKING: A crash between an MCTS bus and a school bus led to the school bus crashing into the Center Street Library.
— Ubah Ali (@UbahDAli) December 10, 2021
- As of now, West Fond Du Lac Ave & West Center Street are taped off to traffic and are being rerouted.
We are working to learn more. pic.twitter.com/lm2KW7RQHf
