Failed Brakes on Bus Caused Seven Car Pileup
Traffic accidents continue to take top spot in the local news, as more and more accidents each day claim lives and the cause of major injuries. And yesterday was no exception, with a spectacular nine car pileup on the Autopista General Cañas in front of the San José Barceló hotel.

The accident occurred around 10:00am as a bus carrying 30 passengers from downtown San José on route to Belén-Ojo de Agua, slammed into a group of cars that had slowed down as the highway dips into a valley just before the Torres river.

Miraculously only one person was required to be taken to hospital receiving hits to his throat and head. The others involved in the accident received minor bumps and were treated at the scene by Cruz Roja (Red Cross) personnel.

And even more amazing was that all the vehicles, except three, were able to leave the scene of the accident without the aid of a tow truck.

One passerby, writer and author of a number of books on Costa Rica living and retiring, Christopher Howard, described the scene as "an Iraq war zone", with car parts and broken glass littering the busy highway, as six of the vehicles were crunched together.

Traffic was tied up in the San José-Alajuela direction for more than an hour, while drivers in the Alajuela-San José direction slowed down to take a look.

Preliminary reports indicate that the brakes on the bus failed. The lack of skid marks is evidence that the bus did not slam the brakes to avoid hitting the gray later model Toyota Yaris who was hit from behind , who then slammed into a Mercedes mini van in front of it, trapping the Fiat Sedan between it and a blue pickup truck, that crashed into a red pick up truck, that bumped into a Galloper.

Aurelio Castro, driver of the bus, told Tránsito (traffic) officials that the Yaris cut him off and not allowing him time to slam the brakes.

However, Laura Solórzano, who was a passenger in the bus, had a different version. She said that the bus was coming down the hill at a rapid speed and that is when it hit the car in front. All she remembers is the loud noise by the crash and the screams of the other passengers.

Randall Jiménez, the driver of the min van remembers seeing the bus in his rear view mirror coming towards him and began to plow through the vehicles. Jiménez said there was nothing he could do but prey.

For the most part, the other drivers and passengers of the bus got the scare of their lives, but fortunately came out of it with frayed nerves and some bruises.