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Tour Bus Hits Tree Near Central Park Zoo, Injuring 9 Passengers, FDNY Says

By  Ben Fractenberg and William Mathis | July 21, 2016 1:50pm 

 Several people were injured after a tour bus struck a tree on Fifth Avenue and 63rd Street Thursday afternoon, July 21, 2016.
Several people were injured after a tour bus struck a tree on Fifth Avenue and 63rd Street Thursday afternoon, July 21, 2016.
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DNAinfo/William Mathis

MANHATTAN — Nine passengers suffered non-life-threatening injuries after a tour bus struck a tree near the Central Park Zoo Thursday afternoon, according to officials.

The bus was cut off by a yellow cab and swerved to avoid hitting the vehicle before jumping the curb and striking the tree at Fifth Avenue and 63rd Street at about 1:14 p.m., FDNY and NYPD officials said.

All nine passengers were taken to Lenox Hill and New York Presbyterian hospitals, according to the FDNY. 

A nearby construction worker said he heard the bus driving yelling "somebody cut me off" after he struck the tree. 

Tour Bus Crash

Photo Credit: Oliva Villavicencio

The cab kept driving after the bus collided with the tree, an NYPD spokeswoman said. 

The worker, Bernard Bradley, said it not appear any of the passengers were seriously injured. 

"People got on stretchers, but I didn't see anybody unconscious," he said. "People were bleeding but only on their knees, on their foreheads.”

Construction worker Danny Palletto said he heard people "screaming" after the collision. 

"I was standing here and I heard a big thump, [the] ground shook a little," Palletto said. 

Fifth Avenue was closed to traffic between 63rd and 62nd streets. 

Southbound M1, M2, M3, M4, BxM3, BxM4, BxM6, BxM7, BxM8, BxM9, BxM10 and BxM11 bus lines were detoured after the collision, according to the MTA. 

The buses were turning left on 72nd Street to Lexington Avenue. Riders can check the MTA's website for updates

The tour bus company did not return an immediate request for comment.