A 28-year-old female pedestrian was struck and killed by a tour bus in lower Manhattan while out walking among the multitude of court and government buildings that line both Lafayette and Centre streets on Dec. 20.
Police dispatch first started receiving reports of an incident just after 7:30 p.m. When they arrived at the Leonard St. crash scene, they found a tour bus with “NYC Style Limo" markings on it stopped near a pedestrian who was on the ground and unresponsive in the middle of the road.
Paramedics placed her in an awaiting ambulance and transported her to NY Presbyterian-Downtown Hospital. She died on her arrival there.
One of the passengers, who’d been riding on the Tennessee-bound bus at the time of the incident told police they were traveling down the roadway when they heard a thump. Another witness recounted how the bus driver dialed 911, then handed off his phone to a nearby passenger to communicate with them as he didn’t speak English. By then, both were aware that a pedestrian had been hit.
A third passenger recounted how the bus had left its previous stop 15 minutes late and that the driver seemed to be rushing as he drove along Allen St.
The Massachusetts company that owned the bus was registered to transport riders between states. The business hasn’t reported any crashes during the past two years.
However, some of the passengers reported having purchased their tickets from a company called Wanda Coach. A search of federal records shows that this business previously been cited for operating their buses without an appropriate federal license. They service New York City and other major cities along the eastern portion of the U.S.
Unfortunately, tour bus accidents are common in New York City. Following such incidents, an investigation sometimes reveals that the company operating it didn’t have the necessary permits or that the driver didn’t have adequate training to operate the bus safely. Following such an accident, and especially in the case of a tour bus without permits, a New York car accident attorney can help seriously-injured accident victims pursue financial damages in court.
