Last night, a Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) bus struck and killed a pedestrian in the West Chatham neighborhood in Chicago. The pedestrian was walking in the crosswalk in the first block of West 79th Street at around 7:30 p.m., when she was struck by the CTA bus. The pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene. The CTA bus driver was later cited for failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. A similar accident occurred last month, when another CTA bus struck a pedestrian in the Old Town neighborhood in Chicago. According to the Chicago Police Department, the pedestrian was walking in the crosswalk in the 100 block of West Division at around 4:30 a.m., when she was struck by the CTA bus. The pedestrian was taken to the emergency room and was treated for swelling and contusions.
Last summer, a CTA bus struck a mother and her three children as they were crossing the street in the Lakeview neighborhood. According to police, the mother and her children were crossing at the intersection of Halsted Street and Waveland Avenue around 10:15 a.m., when the CTA bus struck them. A witness to the collision told reporters that the infant being held by the mother flew out of the mother’s hands and violently struck the concrete. The children were taken to the emergency room at Lurie Children’s Hospital and the CTA bus driver was taken to the emergency room at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center. The driver was later given a citation for failure to yield to pedestrians.
In 2015, the driver of a CTA bus ran a red light and struck several pedestrians and vehicles. According to the Chicago Police Department, the bus driver initially stopped at the red light at the intersection of Michigan Avenue and Lake Street, before running the red light. In the midst of running the red light, the bus driver struck two pedestrians and a couple vehicles. One of the pedestrians struck by the bus later died at a local hospital and the other pedestrian was critically hurt. The bus driver only suffered minor injuries. The bus driver was later cited for failing to stop at the red light and for failure to exercise due care.
According to the Chicago Sun Times, CTA bus crashes in 2015 and 2016 killed 5 people and injured more than 1,000 people. Theses crashes cost the taxpayers of the City of Chicago about $16 million in settlements, judgments, and expenses for those killed and injured. In total, injuries reported by the CTA included 550 bus rider injuries, 250 bus driver injuries, 200 driver injuries, 55 pedestrian injuries, and 20 bicyclist injuries.
Buses, like CTA buses, can cause severe and painful injuries to the pedestrians they strike. The size of the vehicle striking the pedestrian determines the amount and type of injuries the pedestrian suffers. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the most serious injuries result from pedestrians being hit by vehicle bumpers, vehicle hoods, or windshields. The higher up the impact, the more damage can be caused to the pedestrian’s organs and extremities. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in 2013 put out data showing that pedestrians are more likely to be struck in a front impact by passenger cars and light trucks, and are more likely to be struck in rear impacts and right-side impacts by large trucks and buses.
Being struck with a vehicle as a pedestrian can be dangerous and scary, especially if you are struck by a large vehicle like a bus. Injuries and the costs of treating those injuries can easily add up. For more information about pedestrian accidents, visit our page HERE. If you or a loved one has been injured as a pedestrian, contact the car accident lawyers at the law firm of John J. Malm & Associates to learn more about how you may be entitled to receive compensation for your injuries.