Two pedestrians killed by two different New York City buses
New York City is among one of the dangerous places for pedestrians. Needless to say, many drivers on New York streets are in a rush to get where they are going. Operators of mass transit vehicles are no different. Either from a lack of attentiveness, or because of the tediousness of driving the same pattern for long stretches of time, they can end up mindlessly ignoring pedestrians who are crossing the streets in crosswalks. When this happens it is most likely that the pedestrian will suffer serious personal injuries, some of which are fatal.
Two New Yorkers were struck down by New York City buses this week within a 24-hour period. The first victim was a 22-year-old who was killed by a Q44 bus while crossing a very dangerous intersection in Flushing. This accident happened shortly after eight in the morning.
The bus driver never saw the pedestrian trying to the cross the intersection, and amazingly, did not even realize that the bus hit a pedestrian. Witnesses to the scene were able to give information to the police who were then able to track down the bus and its driver.
In a second fatal bus accident that happened less than 24 hours later, a 25-year-old man was crossing 125th Street in the early morning hours. He was struck by an M60 bus. Tragically his body was trapped beneath bus which dragged his body approximately 20 feet. The Harlem resident was transported to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. Unfortunately, he died shortly after arriving at the hospital.
In this second instance, it was not clear whether the bus driver saw the pedestrian and tried to stop, or whether there was simply no time for the bus driver to stop. These and many other questions must be addressed to determine whether the MTA can be held responsible for the wrongful deaths of these New York City pedestrians.
Source: New York Daily News, “Second pedestrian struck and killed by New York City bus in 24-hour period,” Erik Badia and John Doyle, Feb. 23, 2012
