SFMTA releases video of 19-Polk crash
Update: Above, video of the crash (thx @ActionNewsSF):
Original post: The following is a press release from MTA spokesperson Judson True. It shows both the 19-Polk and the truck running their respective stop signs moments before slamming into each other.
The SFMTA today released video from the 19 Polk vehicle’s DriveCam system and its onboard video surveillance system. At approximately 12:05 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 5, this 19 Polk Muni bus traveling northbound on De Haro Street was involved in an accident with a truck traveling westbound on 18th Street.
The DriveCam video is provided as an attachment to the e-mail.
The onboard video can be downloaded at http://bit.ly/6Giiyi. The 164- megabyte file may take a few minutes to download. This video is also available on DVD; e-mail judson.true@sfmta.com to obtain a copy of it.
The video appears to show that the Muni bus rolled through its STOP sign on De Haro Street and the truck ran its STOP sign.
“Video is a tremendous help in our investigation of accidents like this one,” said Nathaniel P. Ford Sr., SFMTA Executive Director/CEO. “It is a vital tool that helps us improve Muni safety.”
The Muni Operator involved in the accident remains on non-driving status pending the outcome of the investigation.
DriveCam is a driver risk mitigation system that the SFMTA has installed in all of its trolley, biodiesel and biodiesel-electric hybrid buses, to help improve safety on the transit system. The DriveCam system records inside and outside the front of the bus to capture collisions or other driving behaviors. The cameras record and download a few seconds of footage before and after an incident when the vehicle experiences an exceptional force, such as hard braking or swerving. These recordings will be used for safety investigations and Operator instruction.
Because the files involved do not run on Macs, we’re providing the .wmv version of the video here. If anyone can convert this to .mov or upload to YouTube, let us know and we’ll embed it here. We watched it, and it’s clear that both vehicles are at fault.