http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Man-struck-killed-by-Metro-bus-3489658.php [rquoter]Man struck, killed by Metro bus John Rig, Houston Chronicle By John Rigg Published 07:29 p.m., Tuesday, April 17, 2012 A Metro bus struck and killed a pedestrian Tuesday in the Midtown area, officials said. The bus was turning into the Wheeler Transit Center, 4500½ Main, just after 5:30 p.m. as a man was crossing the street, a witness told Metro authorities. "The pedestrian struck the front door of the bus, causing him to fall to the ground and roll under the bus," said METRO spokesman Jerome Gray. No passengers were on board the bus at the time, he said. The man was pronounced dead at the scene. His identity has not been released, said Gray. The investigation is ongoing.[/rquoter] I was the first car waiting at the red light across the intersection, and kinda watching the guy crossing the driveway into the transit center. This bus turns in front of him and I see a hat go up in the air. I couldn't see the guy anymore and I thought perhaps my eyes deceived me and the bus had passed behind him, cutting off my view. But then the bus passed and he was gone. So, when the light turned green, I pulled into the transit center. The bus driver had stopped to look under the bus. The guy was still caught under the axle. Pretty gruesome. I only looked long enough to be sure he was beyond help. Some people were taking pictures with their cell phones. Why would you want to do that? I gave my report to the police and went home. Ate dinner, watched a movie with the kids, cleaned up and went to sleep. It made me think of something my father said about an auto-pedestrian accident he had witnessed: "Ruined my whole day." It weird that a little carelessness led to this abrupt and unceremonious end to this guy's life and, while it bothers me, it basically has no effect on my life. I didn't do anything to cause it. I couldn't have prevented it. I will suffer none of the consequences. The facts it illuminates -- that life is fragile, that you don't know the minute or the hour -- were just as true before the accident as after. I already knew it; it's just that I usually don't have to think about it. Practical applications: * Be careful driving. * When walking, don't insist too much on your right of way, especially vis-a-vis a Metro bus.
Hope you feel better. I saw a man died riding his bike a few years ago after being strucked by a vehicle as well.. Sure did ruin my day.
This is a shame; I rode Metro all through college and think it's one of the best public services out there. The driver will probably be administratively liable, but I have no idea what if any legal recourse the pedestrian's family has.
The pedestrian struck the bus? Really, Metro? I think there are too many variables involved to say witnessing something like this will or will not have a lasting impact on someone. Maybe if you had seen the actual collision it would be different. I do hate it when people cross the street without looking. I dont want to say the guy deserved it, but too many people ignore traffic, as if the worst that could happen to them is a cut or a bruise. It's even worse when they're walking with children...
That was a funny way of putting it. It seemed to me that the guy was already in the drive and the bus driver was just going around him as it turned. But the guy was, perhaps, insisting on his right-of-way or maybe plain didn't see or I don't know what, and he just kept walking. But that long bus swinging on a sharp right hand turn caught the guy and knocked him down with the side. I would say it was carelessness on both parties. The bus should have patiently waited for him to cross. But, once he started his turn, the man should have stopped walking just to preserve his life. I doubt anything comes of it. My impression (though I wasn't watching him closely or anything) was that he was homeless. I doubt any family will make a fuss. They might not even discover his identity. I think it sucks for the driver, whether they hold him liable or not. Even if it was completely the other guy's fault, it'd haunt me if I'd run someone over.
It sucks that that happened to the man.. its horrible actually. But I do agree that pedestrians rely heavily on the "pedestrians always have the right of way" Cause sometimes you just don't get seen. Walking in metro areas w/ high traffic, you have to be extremely cautious.
I was milliseconds away from killing someone with my car. It was my first car accident EVER. I was going full speed on a decently sized road (40-45MPH) and this woman ran across the street trying to catch the bus. I couldn't see her and she couldn't see me because the vision was blocked by a left turning car. When I saw her it was already too late to brake and swerve out of the way. I just remember seeing someone, hearing a clunk, then seeing a body crumbled on the road through my rear view mirrow. I was freaking out, thinking to myself that 'I JUST F***ING KILLED SOMEONE'. I was sure that I had severely injured her until I saw that she was walking and talking with help from other people. I didn't really know what had happened until one of the witnesses handed me my drivers side rear view mirror. He picked it up from the road. I struck her with the mirror and it broke right off. If she was 2 feet ahead or i was half a second slower, then it would've been my bumper instead of the mirror. It was super fortunate that she was mostly okay (just some few bruises according to the EMT) and there were a lot eye witnesses that said she had ran across the street and there was nothing I could have done to avoid her. Makes a good story when I tell people that I had hit someone with my car though.
Man I can relate. I think I even made a thread about it last year. Watching someone die a violent death is never a good thing. I lost my appetite for a while after I saw one.
I was riding in a car that was immediately behind someone that hit a homeless person on a freeway interchange once. He was pushing a shopping cart full of all kinds of stuff. Apparently he was walking right down the middle of the ramp. It was one lane so even if the car in front of us had had time to see and stop they couldn't have swerved out of the way. My mom was a nurse at the time and she got out and checked on him. She said he pretty much died instantly. It freaked me out for a while.
yeah, i figured it was the guys fault and not Metro's, but i guess the spokesperson just wanted to drive that point across, even if the wording was silly.
I've ridden Metro for several years now and those drivers drive pretty crazy when their bus is out of service (empty). But yeah, that's a pretty tough situation. How many times have you been trying to make a right hand turn and had to wait for a pedestrian to cross first while cars start piling up behind you. A lot of the time, you'll just turn and assume the pedestrian will stop for a second and let you pass. Not this time I guess. I witnessed a fatal hit-an-run from my front porch back in college. I assumed the guy was only injured until I read about it in the paper the next day.
I thought I killed a kid a couple months ago... the light turned green and this idiot kid ran into the side of my car on his bicycle.. still have the dent because the kid's father gave me false contact info. scumbag
crazy!! not related to the incident in the story but it makes me think about some of these idiots who walk in the middle of the street while cars are zooming by. when it comes down to flesh vs. metal, metal always win.
I was coming home on wheeler must have been right after that happened before they closed the lanes. Thought it was just a car accident, wow.
Yeah. It's a silly thing, but I guess I'm a little proud to have done the right things -- called 911 promptly, pulled over and checked the guy out, waited and gave a statement. Even returned the cop's pen. That's a busy intersection, and only 3 people pulled over. I remember years ago, there was an accident that happened right in front of me on the freeway. I saw what happened and who was at fault. I would have been a good witness that the insurance companies would have liked to talk to. But, we were all going fast and I couldn't really just stop on the freeway, so I kept going. Then I felt bad about not making myself available.