Two tragic transit bus accidents in one week, one resulting in serious personal injuries and the other in potentially wrongful death, has left a lot of people in the Puget Sound area scratching their heads. Those with long and not-so-long memories may be wondering whether some of the safety issues that had plagued the organization in the past once again rearing their ugly heads.
In the first incident this week, a 51-year-old woman stepped off the curb on Third Avenue at Pine Street in Downtown Seattle at around 8:30 am yesterday morning and was struck by a northbound bus. She remains in the intensive care unit with potentially life threatening personal injuries.
The second victim, a 48-year-old Bellevue woman, died after she was struck by the bus. She apparently had just stepped off the bus at her usual stop in East Bellevue at Northeast 10th Street and Northup Way after saying good-bye to the driver and several other passengers, when the bus left and the driver said he heard a “Thump, thump.” He stopped and found her under the bus. She died at the scene.
These two horrible incidents highlights the need for a safety review. In the past King County Metro has had some issues with training, particularly with its handicapped shuttle service, which employs a private contract driver service with different training and background standards and has had some serious incidents. It wasn’t until recently that regular transit buses have begun to eliminate dangerous lift ramps for buses without the steep stairs and safer ramps that merely extend to the sidewalk.
This King County Metro blurs the lines between private and public. It’s funding woes have been highly publicized, with cuts in essential routes that spurred on embarrassing rider uprisings that resulted in public protests last year.
Phillips Law Firm hopes that these serious incidents are not the result of Metro’s attempts to shore up budgeting shortfalls through cutting public safety.
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When you properly prepare your vehicle and use extra caution, your chances of avoiding an accident are much better. Unfortunately accidents occur at the negligence of other people, causing devastation to you and your loved ones. If you have been injured in a car accident call our personal injury attorneys at Phillips Law Firm at (800) 708-6000. We offer a FREE case consultation 24/7 and offer a no fee promise. Our no free promise means that you do not have to pay an attorney fee if we do not recover compensation for you.