Accelerator for brake fatal crash

Two public bus drivers have been detained by police following the death of two pedestrians and injuries to a third at 8:30am last Friday on Shaanxi Road N. near Plaza 66.

Qian, 54, the driver of electric bus route No. 738, hit three pedestrians when she was pulling away from a bus stop, police said yesterday.

The bus company said Qian mistook the accelerator pedal for the brake.

She applied the parking brake when stopping to let passengers on and off, but did not shift into neutral, according to the police.

The three pedestrians had just disembarked from another bus — route No. 955 — parked alongside. The law requires vehicles to stop on the rightmost lane.

While Qian did so, Qiu, the driver of the other bus, did not.

After the incident, Qiu drove off. He is also now in detention.

The two drivers could face the criminal charges.