A quiet stretch of First Avenue on the Upper East Side became the scene of a dramatic early-morning wreck on Tuesday, with surveillance video capturing the moment a large vehicle barreled through a restaurant’s street-side setup and sent a parked car flipping onto its side.
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The incident unfolded just after 3:30 a.m. near East 83rd Street, when a northbound M15 MTA bus plowed into the outdoor dining structure belonging to AOC East, a French bistro at 1481 First Avenue. The bus also struck two parked vehicles, flipping one of them, before coming to a stop.According to the NYPD, the 36-year-old operator behind the wheel told investigators that the bus’s brakes stopped responding as she traveled up First Avenue. She reportedly pulled the emergency brake in a last-ditch attempt to stop the vehicle, but the bus continued forward and into the dining area.
AOC East was closed at the time and no diners were seated outside. A single passenger was on board the bus during the crash. Both the operator and the passenger declined medical attention, per the NY Post.
The MTA confirmed the driver has been pulled from active duty while the agency conducts an internal review alongside the NYPD’s investigation. ABC 7 reported that investigators are also examining whether fatigue may have been a factor, including the possibility that the operator fell asleep at the wheel.
The extent of the damage along the bus’s path was not immediately detailed by police.
This is a developing story.
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