Today I was right in the middle of shooting a snowscape VR panorama on the corner of Bellevue and Thomas (very much like a previous shot of mine at the same location ).

Three large busses came into my camera’s view traveling slowly north on Bellevue. Thinking they would continue north on Bellevue, I paused my shooting and waited for them to pass. To my astonishment (this was an icy incline that even I had problems walking on), the lead bus turned left right in front of me and headed downhill on Thomas. As I watched the bus begin to slide midway down the hill along the curb you can only imagine the sinking feeling I felt as I knew what awaited them at the bottom. A mere seconds later, that feeling would sink further upon hearing the sounds of other people on the street yelling at the second bus (which I did not see behind me) to stop and not turn down the street.

When the second bus passed me it was as if some horrible stage had been set, a chain of events that appeared hopelessly pre-determined. Two buses sliding down the hill towards a 30+ foot cliff over the I-5 interstate. This is the type of thing that one can certainly play out in their mind. I only hoped that what I thought might happen next wasn’t going to happen.

My relief upon seeing the first bus finally stopped, even if hanging over the edge, was only so very brief, as at that moment, the second bus started sliding and was headed right towards it- crashing into it and sending it a few feet further over the edge before sliding off to the left and hitting the guard rail as well.

Then it was over. Both busses were stopped, did not go over the rail and people began to pour out of the windows to safety. In the end, there were no serious injuries.

I think a real trauma for the riders was realizing once they got out of the bus, just how close they came to a completely different and tragic outcome.

These panoramas were shot shortly after everyone had safely exited the buses and were waiting for the fire department and police to respond.

Read more about this accident here and here.