CTA bus crashes' 2-year toll-5 dead, 1,000 hurt, $16M

Five people killed. More than 1,000 injured. A cost to Chicago taxpayers of about $16 million.

That's some of the toll exacted by crashes involving CTA buses the past two years, according to interviews and records examined by the Chicago Sun-Times.

Altogether, CTA buses were involved in more than 500 crashes in 2015 and 2016, with injuries reported by about 550 bus riders, 250 bus drivers, 200 other drivers, 55 pedestrians and 20 bicyclists.

Beyond the human toll, there's a financial cost. The $16 million included settlements, judgments and other legal expenses. In all, more than 380 lawsuits were filed against the CTA in 2015 and 2016 as a result of bus crashes, though suits "filed in 2015 could include accidents from 2014, as there is a one-year statute of limitations and would also include re-filings," according to the public transit agency.

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