Horrifying eyewitness account of bus hitting woman
UPDATE: Driver placed on unpaid leave.
This account comes from a reader: I know this blog is all about the unusual, strange and sometimes funny happenings that occur daily on the CTA. However, this isn't one of those stories. It is, in fact, the most frightening thing I've ever witness in my 6 years of living in Chicago (and riding public transit). It takes on new significance we you consider yesterday's (Thursday, September 22) Sun-Times lead story concerning the city's pending crackdown on pedestrians who jaywalk/cross against the light.
I attend Truman College (Wilson & Broadway) on Tuesday and Thursday nights. Afterwards I head to my boyfriend's apartment (Sheridan & Foster) for a late dinner. Since it's such a short distance, I usually walk. But last night I was running a little late and decided to head over to Sheridan & Wilson and take the #151 up to Foster.
The bus was fairly empty (it's about 9:50 pm and there were only about 4 others riding) so I was able to sit in one of the single seats on the right side of the bus. The bus wasn't doing the complete route, but rather stopping its run at Foster (which was perfect for me).
As the driver made the westbound turn from Sheridan onto Foster (to head to the North Garage) I heard a loud "thud" and felt the bus come to an abrupt stop. The driver stood up in her seat and, with a look of utter disbelief, asked no one in particular "I didn't just hit her, did I" (I think she was trying to convince herself more than any of us on the bus). There was a young woman sitting the first inward facing seat (opposite the driver's seat) who started screaming "Yes you did!" The driver then becomes hysterical and in her haste to go outside and see what happened, forgets to put the bus in park. The next voices I hear are people on the sidewalk and in their cars outside yelling at the driver to stop because she's dragging the woman under the bus.
The driver eventually recovers, puts the bus in park and goes out the front door. She takes a look towards the back of the bus, screams and tears off running down the sidewalk (let me state here that the driver WAS NOT trying to flee the scene...she was just so distraught that she simply, 'lost it'). I was the closest passenger to the back door and when I opened it to step off, there she was. A short, Caucasian, female in her late 60's or early 70's laying face down on the street (literally, a 'little old lady'). She had been doubled-over (presumably during the dragging) and was in a sort of fetal position with her rear in the air. She was lying just to the left of door and slightly under the bus. To the right was a pool of blood and a smear trailing to where the woman now rested.
Another CTA driver, who was in the McDonald's on the southwest corner of Sheridan & Foster, came out and tried to calm down the driver (now about a half block down the sidewalk...still screaming and crying) while a couple of people from the sidewalk tried to attend to the injured lady. As I was on my cell speaking to "9-1-1", someone stated that she's was breathing
so I relayed this info to the operator (by the way, on a separate topic, I was totally unaware that when you call 9-1-1 from a cell phone you first have to relay info to the operator from your cell company, who THEN transfers you to local authorities to repeat the story...seems like this needs to streamlined a bit).
Several anxious minutes pass and finally I can see the woman's torso rise and fall as she begins to breathe. Then the screaming starts. I can't imagine the pain the poor woman must have felt, but the sounds coming out of her mouth were a clear indication that she was not "all right" (as several people kept asking her...we say the stupidest things in a crisis). Eventually, the authorities arrive and take the woman to the hospital, CTA officials try to calm the driver and eventually take her away (after she gave a statement to the police), and I go upstairs to have dinner with my boyfriend. His apartment overlooks the scene so all through the meal (I was surprised I still had an appetite) we had the flashing lights of police cruisers to remind us of what just transpired 6 floors below.
It's funny the tiny details you remember in a situation like that. For instance, I've always wondered how pedestrians in "vehicle vs. people" accidents get 'knocked out of their shoes.' Yet, when I think about the incident the first image in my head is me opening the back door and seeing the old lady's socked feet. The position of the lady's walker, the blouse the young woman in the first seat was wearing, the face of the #147 driver who stopped to help out are all clear as day in my head. Needless to say, it was a very surreal ending to an otherwise normal day.
To all of you, take care and be safe.
**Chicago Tribune story about accident
Foster and Sheridan is a dangerous intersection. Several different bus routes make turns there. Also lots of senior citizens in the area. Another woman was hit by a turning bus there not too long ago.
Posted by: mark | September 23, 2005 at 01:24 PM
Please keep in mind that this was an accident. It was nothing more than that, I hope. I also hope that both the pedestrian and the driver make a full recovery from this accident. That goes for the witnesses as well.
Posted by: Archangelgabe | September 23, 2005 at 01:55 PM
i have been known to jaywalk quite a bit in my day. but the thing i now definitely know (i've been caught short a couple of times) is this: if you are unfamiliar with an intersection -- don't fuck around.
some lights have green turn arrows. you will GET HIT if you try and walk during one. and you will definitely be IN THE WRONG, even though you are a pedestrian. of course, a car will not have the right to hit you, but you are the one in the fuck up situation.
when it says 'don't walk,' it means DON'T WALK. even though i'm a jaywalker, i know that these lights are all timed for a reason.
also -- really dangerous are the 6 corner intersections. i live at a sort of 5 corner one. bryn mawr/broadway/ridge. i know the lights like the back of my hand. but if you DON'T.... and try to play light/walking games, you can get totally smeared. and even then, i always am really careful about where and when the cars are coming from.
it's really super serious, people. waiting the little bit is worth a limb or a life.
and i won't even go near the michigan ave. CF.
Posted by: jocelyn | September 23, 2005 at 02:19 PM
Good point about the accident Gabe. I don't think the writer was trying to indict the bus driver...
Posted by: Kevin | September 23, 2005 at 04:08 PM
I have used my cell phone two times in as many months to call 911. Both times, I was connected directly to the 911 operator. I have Verizon as my service.
Posted by: dwight | September 23, 2005 at 04:54 PM
My SprintPCS phone put me through directly to local 911 when I called them after seeing a car in front of me on the Eisenhower spin out of control and smack into the wall next to the L tracks. It was all a very quick process...as soon as I had pronounced "outbound Eisenhower at Sacramento," the guy said, "290 westbound at Sacramento? Thank you, sir. Goodbye." And presumably police and ambulance were en route. Oh, I think he did ask whether there were injuries. I said I didn't know but would guess yes.
The "crowd of pedestrians walking into traffic on a green arrow instead of a walk light" scenario happens every couple of minutes up and down Michigan Avenue. There has got to be a better system...unfortunately, I think it would involve banning left all left turns.
Posted by: Scott | September 23, 2005 at 08:32 PM
The McDonald's at Foster and Sheridan is where all the 151 and 147 drivers wait to pick up their run. Foster is where all the bus routes that run north and south and come from the North Park garage change drivers. There is also a bus operations supervisor's booth in front of the McDonald's but only manned to about 6:30 at night.
Posted by: jeff | September 23, 2005 at 10:53 PM
My Cingular phone, in the only time I've used it to call 911 (thankfully not for me, but for another driver whose car I saw damaged on the side of the road with someone else helping them already), connected me directly to the local police at the time (I was eastbound on I-70 from Indianapolis).
Jaywalkers can be extremely dangerous, especially on college campuses, where I've found them to be most prevalent. There was a fellow I almost struck because he was walking between the cars as the light turned green, so I almost didn't notice him.
Posted by: Brian | September 25, 2005 at 11:15 AM
Some of the worse cases for Jaywalking is around Thorndale and Broadway. All of the kids heading to Senn High school (at Thorndale and Glenwood) from the Thorndale EL stop always walk across Broadway even if the traffic is super heavy. I've seen this way too many times, where cars fly up when the light is green, but are forced to break really quickly because the students and walking. And they don't even run or jog to cross the street, they saunter. I think running is uncool or something. One morning I overheard a student yell at the driver who honked "What are you gonna do?" Well they might run over you bucko!!
A couple years ago they had a cop at the corner for about a month or two, but there hasn't been anything since. I wonder if there has ever been a serious accident there, because half of those kids have a death wish.
Posted by: Katie | September 26, 2005 at 11:47 AM
I used to cross the Broadway/Ridge/Bryn Mawr intersection all the time as well. Once I knew the lights, it made it easier, but it only takes one driver not paying attention to hit you. I was nearly taken out once by someone making a left turn off of Bryn Mawr onto Broadway. I always wondered why the city didn't make the No Left Turn signs easier to see but I guess until there is a fatality it will remain as it is. Or perhaps they have since made the sign more prominent?
Posted by: LAC | September 26, 2005 at 12:45 PM
The worst corner I cross regularly is the one at Manor/Wilson/Mozart. There's a stop sign EB on Wilson at Mozart and another one at Manor, which is about 10 feet from Mozart at that point. Hardly anyone stops at both, so as a walker I have to really pay attention to cars going east on Wilson. It's as if the drivers think they get to choose which sign to stop at.
Posted by: Cheryl | September 26, 2005 at 01:29 PM
Hi all, Rick here (the original poster). I just received an update on the victim's condition last night. Apparently she is a coma and doctors had to amputate one of the her legs. I've searched the Tribune's site for more follow-up and details...but nothing (so take this with a grain of salt). Also, last night as I WALKED to my boyfriend's apartment (have been keeping my distance from the #151 lately) I noticed that street crews were out at the Sheridan/Foster intersection re-painting the lane lines on the road (the doorman said Channel 2 was in front of the building filming for a good chunck of the day).
Posted by: Rick in Uptown | September 28, 2005 at 01:20 PM
I'm not sure if it's been mentioned yet,but I believe this is a perfect time and place for this information. If you have a dead cell phone (meaning it will hold a charge, but the service has been disconnected or it never had service) keep it charged and with you anyway!! no matter what the status of service, or lack thereof, a cell phone CAN connect to 9-1-1, because it is a free emergency number.
i found a webpage that explains more about it: http://www.andreas.com/faq-cell911.html
be safe, everyone, and God bless.
Posted by: rexblade | September 29, 2005 at 02:11 PM
Thank you to the young woman who wrote about the
lady being hit by the bus. It was my sister, who
lives about one block away. She is 55 years old, and handicapped. She walked with a cane and has always been worried about being hit. She had to have her right foot amputated and a couple of toes were also amputated on her left foot. Her skull was fractured and some ribs were also broken, puncturing one of her lungs. This is the
most info we have heard to date as to what actually happened to her. in her personal effects
were her shoes, which had no damage to them at all, which we thought was kind of funny considering her feet had been crushed by the tires. Her coat was smeared with blood. She is in physical therapy right now.
Posted by: John | November 08, 2005 at 12:14 AM
A very dangerous intersection is the northeast corner at Belmont at Sheridan when you get off that corner bus stop (#145 or #151 bus stops there for example). Belmont Street begins there where the express buses and cars are exiting Lake Shore Drive and the cars are turning left BUT YOU, the pedestian, HAVE THE GREEN WALK LIGHT. The cars turn left and almost hit you and do not wait for pedestrians to cross. Even when you try to walk in the pedestrian lane, a lot of those damn cars are turning left very fast and almost run into you. why are they doing this? The only way to not get hit is to walk with the horde of people trying to cross the street, but if that horde is done crossing, and you want to cross by yourself, the cars dont seem to want to stop and wait for you, even though you have the green light and you are walking in the pedestrian lane. Is it me or do you find that to happen? If you wait for all the cars to turn then you will have missed the green light. This is not easy to do when its freezing out cold and you see the Belmont bus coming and if you wait you will miss the bus. Not fun when its cold.
Posted by: Maryt | December 29, 2006 at 12:29 PM
woops i mean they are turning RIGHT down Sheridan, not left.
Posted by: Maryt | December 29, 2006 at 12:30 PM