Traffic along Avenida Las Palmas came to a standstill early Friday morning after an intermunicipal bus crashed into a utility pole and overturned near La Colegiatura. El Colombiano reported that the 5:30 a.m. accident left 10 passengers injured and forced authorities to close both directions of the major commuter corridor connecting Medellín to eastern Antioquia.
The vehicle, operated by Transportes Unidos (Transunidos) and carrying 19 passengers on a route originating in La Ceja, crossed the center divider and flipped onto its side.
Medellín Mayor Federico Gutiérrez confirmed via social media that the 10 bus passengers sustained injuries that were not life-threatening. However, the operator of the motorcycle suffered severe trauma during the collision. Emergency crews rushed the motorist to a nearby hospital.
⚠️ A esta hora se presenta cierre en la Av. Las Palmas, a la altura de la Colegiatura, sentido oriente – occidente, por siniestro vial. Recomendamos transitar con precaución. pic.twitter.com/n6n9ljbnIO
Emergency Response and Multi-Agency Deployment at La Colegiatura
First responders from Bomberos Medellín, local police units, and multiple private ambulance crews arrived at kilometer 7 of the corridor within minutes of the alarm.
Caracol Radio reported that traffic enforcement agents blocked access heading both toward the city center and toward the eastern mountains to allow heavy equipment operators to clear the wreckage.
Phased Mobility Recovery Amid Route Diversions
Transportation authorities urged motorists to bypass the disaster zone by utilizing alternative mountain routes such as the Túnel de Oriente, La Cola del Zorro, and the Los Balsos road.
By mid-morning, municipal crews cleared enough debris to reopen the outbound lane heading from Medellín toward the east. Mayor Gutiérrez confirmed that the inbound descent toward the city center remained blocked as maintenance teams finished clearing the remaining wreckage and repairing damaged municipal infrastructure.
🚨 #Atención | Un bus de la empresa Transunidos estuvo involucrado hace unos minutos en un siniestro vial en la avenida Las Palmas, a la altura de la Colegiatura, según información preliminar. La Secretaría de Movilidad de Medellín reportó movilidad reducida en sentido… pic.twitter.com/7B7WKNx0oF
More on La Colegiatura
‼️Estamos atendiendo un accidente que se presentó esta mañana en Las Palmas, a la altura de La Colegiatura, donde un bus intermunicipal con 19 pasajeros sufrió un volcamiento. Hasta el momento tenemos reporte de 10 personas lesionadas, afortunadamente sin gravedad. Sin embargo,…
🚨 #Atención | Varias personas resultaron heridas en un siniestro vial que involucró a un bus de Transunidos en la avenida Las Palmas, a la altura de la Colegiatura. Un pasajero que abordó el vehículo en La Ceja con destino a Medellín relata a MiOriente lo ocurrido. ⚠️ La… https://t.co/zbKy8Etg28 pic.twitter.com/S5sTxdHfPY
