An Australian holidaymaker injured and stranded after a fatal bus crash in southern Italy claims the tour company only offered her a meal voucher for the inconvenience.
Australian actress Sinead Curry, who starred in TV shows like The Haunting of Nancy Drew, iZombie and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, said the European bus company only offered her a $16 meal voucher for the inconvenience nine hours after the crash.
Ms Curry and partner Salma Salah, both from Sydney, boarded the FlixBus on Saturday evening (AEST) in the city of Bari for the long journey to the northern city of Bologna with a change in Rome.
However, two hours into the journey, Mrs Curry says the ‘bus hit something’.
“We were all asleep, it went up in the air and spun around a few times,” she said in a TikTok video posted Sunday, showing her wearing a neck brace at the hospital.
Ms Curry said the bus was “thrown around like in a blender” before landing at an embankment, which she said was “on the other side of the road”.
Sydneysider Sinead Curry (pictured) and partner Salma Salah have been caught up in a deadly bus accident in southern Italy
“Several cars then hit the bus, driving the bus closer and closer to the side of the road,” Ms Curry says in the video.
Italian and German media reported that the bus crash happened near the town of Avellino, about 50 km east of the southwestern city of Naples.
The incident also involved five cars and local emergency services said the ‘lifeless body of a man had been found’ along with 14 injured people.
Ms Curry said there were 38 people on the bus, including a third Australian woman named ‘Caity’, who suffered a broken collarbone.
After Ms Curry was released from hospital, where despite fears that her nose was broken it was assured that it was not, Ms Curry made another video outlining how she felt let down by the bus company.
‘FlixBus none of your numbers work,’ begged a tearful Mrs Curry.
They call and hang up. We can’t get any information from FlixBus, we can’t get our luggage back.
“They offered us a 10 euro meal replacement voucher by text message for the inconvenience.
“There are some people here who almost died, we have no information.”
Australian actress Sinead Curry, who has appeared on TV shows like The Haunting of Nancy Drew, iZombie and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, said the European bus company only offered her a $16 meal voucher for the inconvenience nine hours after the crash
The bus accident killed one person and injured 14 people after it crashed into an embankment
She later claimed that FlixBus even blocked her on social media.
“We just want some information and some help,” she said, complaining that her luggage had also not been returned.
FlixBus issued a statement claiming that “a support line and email” had been provided to all passengers and their families following the incident.
Calls were made to passengers who registered their mobile numbers and emails were sent to passengers with instructions.
“The safety of passengers and drivers is FlixBus’ top priority at all times.”
On Monday morning, Ms Curry was reunited with her luggage and in Rome after an emergency shuttle was deployed for the stranded passengers.
However, she said that even when they arrived in Rome, passengers found “shrapnel” from the crash in their bodies and that she dug a piece out of herself.
Police and emergency services at the scene of the bus accident on the Italian highway on the way to Naples
Ms Curry said the bus was “swung around like in a blender” before landing at an embankment, which she thought was “on the other side of the road”
In her most recent TikTok video posted at 9:35pm (AEST) on Monday, Ms Curry said she and her partner were thankful to be ‘safe and in Rome’.
However, she said they were both on their way to the hospital to be rechecked as she had “very bad headaches” and intense pain in her jaw.
Ms Curry thanked the ‘heroes’ in Italy’s fire and rescue efforts, who she said took her and her partner in and gave them pasta, crackers and water, as well as clean clothes.
She said FlixBus called her late twice and told the couple to keep receipts to get a full refund.
In the caption, she reported that Caity was “safe in hospital care.”
Ms Curry, who left just over three weeks ago for her dream holiday in Europe, said she and her partner were scrapping their Italian plans and would recuperate in Rome.
“We are so thankful to be alive, please keep your loved ones close,” Ms Curry said.