An injured passenger being helped out of the minibus after it hit a post in trying to avoid colliding with a taxi. Picture by Santosh Ghosh

A Behala-bound minibus dashed into a post, injuring two passengers, in a bid to avert a collision with a taxi at the crossing of Kidderpore Road and Casuarina Avenue on Tuesday afternoon.

The accident took place around 3.25pm, when the speeding taxi coming from Victoria Memorial took a sudden right turn at the crossing, ignoring the approaching minibus. The driver slammed the brakes but the bus smashed into the post. The front of the vehicle was damaged.

“The passengers, who suffered head and chest injuries, were taken to SSKM Hospital, where their condition was said to be stable. The bus could have overturned after the driver applied the brakes, as it was speeding, too,” an officer of the traffic control room said.

“The taxi was being driven rashly. He had noticed the bus approaching from the other side but had not bothered to take care,” said a police officer.

“It could have been a disaster. If the driver had not applied the brakes at the right time, the bus, coming from BBD Bag with nearly 20 passengers, would have collided with the taxi,” he added.

“Though the driver suffered minor injuries in his hand, the rest of the passengers, including five children, were safe,” said another officer.

“The taxi driver escaped but we have the number of the vehicle. We are trying to track it down,” an officer said.

The bus was towed to Maidan police station.