By William A. Weathers
The Cincinnati Enquirer

A northbound Metro bus struck a utility pole then veered into a house. (Michael E. Keating photos) | ZOOM |

Leslie Irvin was inside a South Fairmount house with three of her young children Thursday afternoon when she heard and felt a crash "that sounded like a bomb just blew up."

It was no bomb, but a Metro bus that veered off course, struck a utility pole and plowed into the house on Harrison Avenue.

Five people suffered minor injuries - mostly cuts and bruises - even though the bus came to rest halfway inside the house with an infant beneath the vehicle.

Witnesses said it was a miracle no one was seriously injured.

The unidentified bus driver, who was one of those injured, told police she doesn't remember what happened prior to the crash.

"She rounded the bend at Tremont. The next thing she remembered she was in the house," said police spokesman Lt. Kurt Byrd.

Carla Johnson hugs her cousin, Ryanna Irvin, 11, after the young girl was rescued from the home hit by a Metro bus. | ZOOM |

Witnesses, including the sole passenger, said the bus was not doing anything unusual as it rounded a curve in the 1700 block of Harrison Avenue.

"That bus driver was not speeding," said G. Jackson, 40, who witnessed the crash from her front porch across the street. The outbound No. 64 bus had just left the garage and was heading toward Westwood to begin it's route about 4:20 p.m. The bus normally would have been empty, but Tamas Houston, 18, of Avondale, said he had flagged the bus down shortly before the crash.

"The bus was accelerating up the hill like normal, and then there was a big boom. The bus jumped in the air."

Houston, who was not injured, said he saw a woman in the house just before the crash.

"She was standing at the window. She just had that look of shock."

E-mail bweathers@enquirer.com