I was wondering when the first story first broke about the out-of-control double-decker tour bus that struck multiple cars, pedestrians, and a cyclist before crashing into the new Apple store construction site at Union Square: What would an experienced SF cyclist be doing on Post Street near Union Square of all places? It's definitely not the best way to get downtown, and is always a dangerous crush of cars, tour buses, cable cars, and clueless, slow-moving pedestrians. Well I have an answer now: He was a tourist on a rented bike.
ABC 7 caught up with crash victim Guylherme Kfouri via Skype, and it turns out he was just here visiting from Brazil for a week when, while biking near Union Square, he got picked off by the careening bus near Mason Street, and he's clearly lucky to be alive.
He showed a photo of his main injury, which was a contusion to his head that required some stitches his formerly shaggy hair has now been shaved so it can all grow back again.
"I was looking at the sky, five seconds later I was in the hospital," he says. He actually was knocked unconscious and did not wake up for a full 24 hours after the accident.
But, he says, he's incredibly grateful and he still says he loved his time in San Francisco and would definitely come back though he'll think twice about renting a bike again.
The bus, owned by City Sightseeing, appeared to have a mechanical or brake failure, according to the driver, who was also injured in the crash. Surveillance video showed it speeding out of control, knocking aside orange construction barriers and finally coming to rest at the scaffolding at Stockton and Post.
Kfouri of course has an American lawyer on the case, and he'll be one of multiple people suing the company once the results of the SFPD investigation is complete. The CHP is also reportedly releasing a report, possibly this week, on its inspections of a half dozen other buses in City Sightseeing's fleet, and reportedly some mechanical violations were founds, says ABC 7.
According to the CHP, the bus involved in the crash had not been properly inspected or permitted.
Previously: Victim In Tour Bus Crash Speaks: 'It Could Have Been Prevented'