Around 11 a.m. this morning, a 64-year-old man was seriously injured after being struck by an MTA bus driver while crossing the street on the Lower East Side. This occurred when the man was crossing Madison Street south at Jackson Street when an MTA bus driver turned left and hit him in the crosswalk.
The man suffered injuries to his left shoulder and arm and was taken to Bellevue Hospital in serious but not life-threatening condition. The driver of the bus, a 58-year-old man, was uninjured and remained at the scene.
An NYPD spokeswoman says that no summonses have been issued, and that the Collision Investigation Squad is still investigating.
Two pedestrians with the right of way have been killed by MTA bus drivers in the last month. This accident marks at least the third time this month an MTA bus hit a pedestrian. Earlier this month, a 59-year-old woman in the crosswalk was struck and killed by an MTA bus in Forest Hills, Queens. The driver remained at the scene and no charges were filed. Two days later, another MTA bus hit and killed a 70-year-old woman as she tried to cross a street in Brooklyn. That bus, which was not in service at the time, drove off after hitting the woman, leaving her body in the middle of the road. The MTA driver in that case was charged with leaving the scene of an accident, a felony, failure to yield and other traffic offenses.
In a city of tight corners and big buses and so much pedestrian traffic, these types of accidents often occur. Visibility is hard for buses but their drivers need to be trained professionals and understand they need to exercise extreme caution on streets all around the city. Pedestrians should always be yielded to, especially when they have the right of way. A bus accident can cause a lot more harm because the bus has the potential to be carrying many people.
The first week of November saw 11 people die due to car and bus accidents in New York City, a number that is staggeringly too high. According to Mayor deBlasio, the problem is not that we have drivers who drive under the influence here, but simply drivers who drive too fast for the city streets that are chock full of pedestrians, especially at this time of year.
The attorneys at the Law Office of Richard M. Kenny have over a combined century of experience handling car and bus accident cases right here in New York City. They also have obtained over $250 million in verdicts and settlements to prove their success rate. If you or a loved one have been involved in a car or bus accident while in and around New York City, call our office today to speak to our attorneys about your next steps. We are here to help you get the results and justice that you deserve.
