A new public bus has been damaged in an accident even before reaching the Island, after being struck en route to the vessel that was shipping it from the US.

The crash in New York left the bus with “significant damage”, including a shattered front window, a Public Transportation spokeswoman said.

“This is an unprecedented event as we have never had a bus damaged en route to Bermuda,” director Dan Simmons said, explaining that another vehicle had collided with it.

“This bus will be repaired by the manufacturer in Bermuda. An incident report is being prepared by the Port Authority police in New York with the assistance of our shippers. I expect to receive a formal report in a few days as police conclude their investigation and we will subsequently claim insurance cover.”