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3 passengers injured in HART bus fire

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TBO.com

Published: May 12, 2009

Updated: 05/12/2009 04:58 pm

TAMPA - A HART bus caught fire this afternoon, sending three people to the hospital.

Fire crews were sent to Orient Road and 21st Avenue East after receiving a call about a fire on the Route 15 bus.

By the time firefighters got to the scene, half of the 29-foot vehicle was engulfed in flames and smoke.

The bus was traveling north on Orient Road at about 3 p.m. when the fire started. Yolanda Murray, a driver since January 2007, pulled over and directed passengers off the bus.

"She did an excellent job getting those passengers off the bus in a hurry. In an emergency situation, she did what she was trained to do," HART spokeswoman Kathy Karalekas said.

Seven passengers and the driver were aboard the bus. All were evaluated at the scene; three were taken to area hospitals. The driver was not hospitalized.

There is no word yet on the cause of the fire. The bus, purchased in 2000, was due to be replaced next year but still within its 10-year lifecycle, Karalekas said.

Stay with TBO.com for updates.

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