TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — An unattended public bus rolled backward into a convenience store in Taipei on Tuesday (Nov. 5).
The accident occurred around noon on Songde Road in Taipei's Xinyi District, per New-Reporter.com. The driver of the Route 277 bus, a 35-year-old surnamed Tsai (蔡), told police he had parked the bus at the terminal to take a break and left.
As the bus rolled backward, its rear end got wedged under a covered sidewalk in front of a FamilyMart and wine shop. The Taipei City Fire Department dispatched firefighters to the scene.
A witness dining at home saw the bus reversing from a distance, reported CTS News. He said no one was injured, but people in the wine shop were initially stuck inside since the bus jammed the door.
The Metropolitan Transport Corporation confirmed no one was inside the bus during the accident, per ETtoday. The driver had reportedly forgotten to engage the handbrake before returning to the station.
Since the bus was parked on a slope, it rolled backward diagonally across the street and slid toward the covered sidewalk, reported FTNN News. By the time Tsai returned, the bus had already crashed into the FamilyMart.
The company is handling the situation on-site and has promised to compensate the merchants for the damages.
The following is surveillance camera footage of the accident:
