A woman was killed by a bus driver in Brooklyn this morning. Despite an account from the victim's husband that the driver blew a stop sign, NYPD has already declared that "No criminality is suspected."
At around 7:15 a.m., Lorraine Ferguson, 48, was crossing at Avenue K and 105th Street in Canarsie to catch the BM2 when the driver of a bus carrying disabled children rounded the corner and ran her over, according to the Post.
"I saw the woman under the bus. Her head was smashed," said Tanzania Martin, 22. "She was totally gone. The bus driver never came out. I had to go in and ask, are you okay? He said yes."
Police say no criminality is suspected and the driver stayed on the scene, but the investigation is ongoing.
"Had he stopped for one second, my wife would still be alive," [Michael] Ferguson said. "My wife didn’t have a chance."
"No criminality suspected" is NYPD's way of saying that the driver was not intoxicated and did not flee the scene -- and therefore will almost certainly face no criminal charges, and has a good chance of driving away without as much as a summons for careless driving.
It is almost unheard of for police to file charges against a driver who kills a pedestrian or cyclist unless they do so at the time of the crash. Even a driver who appears to have broken at least two laws -- running a stop sign and failing to yield -- can expect to be cleared of wrongdoing on the spot.
Like his colleagues in the other four boroughs, Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes virtually never charges a killer motorist with a crime unless alcohol or drugs are involved, though exceptions may be made when the perpetrator leaves the scene.
This fatal crash occurred in the 69th Precinct. To voice your concerns about neighborhood traffic safety directly to Deputy Inspector George Fitzgibbon, the commanding officer, go to the next precinct community council meeting. The 69th Precinct council meetings happen at 8 p.m. on the last Tuesday of the month at the precinct, 9720 Foster Avenue, or St. Alban's Church, 9408 Farragut Road. Call 718-257-6205 for information.
The City Council district where Lorraine Ferguson was killed is represented by Charles Barron, who has been supportive of new car-free space for his constituents. To encourage Barron to take action to improve street safety in his district and citywide, contact him at 212-788-6957, or wake up his Twitter feed @CharlesBarron12.
