MACON, Ga. — UPDATE, Friday, 7/8/22, 6:30 p.m.:
The Macon Transit Authority is now disputing some of the information surrounding a bus crash downtown on Thursday.
Macon Transit Authority Spokesperson Jami Gaudet sent a statement saying their driver was never taken to the hospital, and she disputes the sheriff’s office release that said the bus driver and six passengers and the two people in the car that was hit were transported to the hospital.
When we asked the Bibb County Sheriff Office for more information, they say the accident remains under investigation and they’ll release more information as it becomes available.
The accident happened Thursday on MLK Boulevard downtown when the bus hit a car that was turning left.
Everyone was expected to recover from their injuries.
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Nine people are in the hospital after a Macon Transit Authority bus landed on top of an SUV.
The Bibb County Sheriff's Office says it happened just before 6 p.m. at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Cherry Street.
"Oh, my God, it was horrific," Arlene Simmons said about the accident.
Simmons and her friends were just getting to dinner when it happened.
"There was a vehicle upside down with people in it, and the bus was on top of it," she said.
Simmons, a former nurse, sprang into action, but she noticed first responders had it under control.
"Immediately, prayers went up," Simmons said. "We were in awe."
In the aftermath of the crash, the bus sat on MLK and Cherry on top of a Subaru SUV.
"Usually, you don't see those type of things in the area, especially downtown Macon, for it to be so horrific. We're hoping that the people are OK," Simmons said.
The sheriff's office says around 6 p.m., the Subaru was making a left turn from Martin Luther King onto Cherry. At the same time, the bus was headed south on MLK and hit the SUV in the intersection.
"I didn't see the car but I heard the impact," said Jerry Pettis, who was nearby.
The sheriff's office says the car flipped and that the bus rolled on top of the Subaru. Pettis says he ran to help.
PHOTOS: City bus crashes, lands on top of car in downtown Macon
"Helped pull one of the guys out of the back seat. By the time we did that, they showed up. Excellent response time," Pettis said.
The sheriff's office says nine people, two from the car and seven from the bus, went to the hospital. They're listed in stable condition.
"Wasn't nobody hurt. Just cuts and scrapes. I was praying the whole way here. When you look at the car, I thought somebody was dead," Pettis said.
All lanes are open again on MLK. 13WMAZ reached out to the transit authority for comment, but they have not responded to our emails.
The sheriff's office asks anyone with information about the accident to call (478) 751-7500.