Personal Injury Law

Metro Bus Driver Fired Following Fatal Accident

By Ryan Bradley, Esq.

A St. Louis pedestrian accident claimed the life of Rosalind D. Smith, 60, of St. Louis, Mo. According to police, a 62-year old Metro bus driver was fired after hitting and running over Mrs. Smith. St. Louis Police believe Mrs. Smith was crossing the road when the Metro bus hit her. Witnesses saw Mrs. Smith bend down prior to being hit. This tragic pedestrian accident in St. Louis occurred at approximately 9:45 a.m., after Mrs. Smith had exited the bus at DeBaliviere Avenue, near Forest Park Expressway. Apparently the bus driver nor any of the eleven bus passengers felt or saw anything and the bus continued on its route until it was stopped near the St. Louis Zoo.

Two Metro maintenance workers were traveling behind the bus in a pickup truck to perform work in the area when they saw the victim in the street after she had been struck by the bus. Dianne Williams, a Metro spokeswoman, stated it is Metro?s policy to terminate drivers when they are involved in a fatality accident. Police do not anticipate the driver will be charged with a crime, however the investigation is still underway. It is standard procedure in all fatal accidents to test the driver for drugs and alcohol, however the results of those tests could take from twelve to sixteen weeks. The last Metro accident involving a fatality occurred in August of 2007, when a Metro bus ran into a St. Louis County woman?s vehicle from behind as she was merging onto eastbound I-70.

St. Louis pedestrian accidents often result in very serious injuries or death. Pedestrians are especially vulnerable when drivers are distracted. While the exact cause of this Missouri pedestrian accident are not yet known, the investigation may shed some light on the facts surrounding the fatality. A St. Louis lawyer that handles pedestrian accidents may consult with an expert to help reconstruct this incident. Many times, experts are able to determine how and where the injured person was struck by their injuries. In this case, knowing what part of the bus struck this victim will be important in determining whether the bus driver could have seen her.

Full post as published by Missouri Accident Lawyer Blog on February 09, 2011 (boomark / email).