DDOT bus hit, killed woman in downtown Detroit Friday morning
(CBS DETROIT) - Police are investigating after a woman was struck and killed by a bus in downtown Detroit Friday morning.
The incident happened near Griswold and Congress on Friday, June 2.
Officers discovered a woman had been fatally injured when they arrived at the scene.
Detroit Police Deputy Chief Tiffany Stewart said they determined the Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) bus was heading westbound on Congress and about to turn left onto Griswold.
As the bus was making the turn, the victim was walking in the crosswalk westbound on Congress. The bus struck then struck the woman.
Stewart says the bus driver is traumatized by the incident, and they are working to pull camera footage to determine what happened.
Police have identified the victim but are not releasing her identity until the family is notified.
The following statement was released on behalf of DDOT and Mayor Mike Duggan's office:
This morning there was a tragic incident involving one of our DDOT coaches. We have lost a member of the community and our deepest sympathies are with the family at this difficult time.
Any time a DDOT coach is involved in a collision, the driver is immediately taken off the road and a full internal investigation is completed. Per FTA regulations, drug and alcohol testing of the driver also is performed.
The accident investigation is being conducted by the Detroit Police Department Fatal Squad and that report will be forwarded to the Wayne County Prosecutor when it is completed.
The city has also begun a full internal review as to whether the city has the proper internal and labor relations processes in place to prevent accidents involving the city's bus operators. Mayor Duggan has directed Senior Advisor and Counsel Hassan Beydoun to thoroughly review the city's practices and make recommendations as any steps that should be taken to prevent tragedies in the future.
At this time, we know that the operator is a female employee with 26 years of service with DDOT, and we have no further comment at this time.
