Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Buses

MTA Bus Driver Kills Anna Colon, 73, on the Lower East Side

2:56 PM EDT on October 4, 2016

An MTA bus driver struck and killed Anna Colon on East Houston Street this morning. The white arrow indicates the direction the victim was walking and the red arrow indicates the approximate path of the driver. Image: Google Maps
An MTA bus driver struck and killed Anna Colon on East Houston Street this morning. The white arrow indicates the direction the victim was walking and the red arrow indicates the approximate path of the driver. Image: Google Maps

An MTA bus driver killed a senior on the Lower East Side this morning.

Anna Colon, 73, was crossing East Houston Street north to south at around 9:50 a.m. when the driver, who was also southbound, hit her while turning left from Avenue D onto East Houston, according to NYPD.

“[The light] was about to turn red when she was crossing the street,” a witness told the Daily News. “The bus was turning and it ran her over. The bus dragged her body for a few feet.”

Anna Colon. Photo via DNAinfo
Anna Colon. Photo via DNAinfo

Colon died at the scene. The NYPD public information office had no details on who had the right of way. A police spokesperson said the investigation was ongoing.

East Houston at Avenue D is a wide two-way street with concrete medians in the crosswalks. Drivers injured 15 people walking at the intersection between 2009 and 2015, and had injured one other person there this year as of August, according to city crash data.

Another witness told the News that speeding, inattentive bus drivers are a hazard in the area.

"I feel afraid every time I cross that corner. I hold my breath and keep an eye out for a bus," said local resident Rosalind Collazo. "The buses go fast and don't stop. It's not the buses, the cars go fast too. They do U-turns when they are not supposed to."

Today's crash was the first pedestrian fatality caused by an MTA bus driver in 2016, according to crash data compiled by Streetsblog.

The Amalgamated Transit Union says wide A pillars and poorly-designed mirrors on U.S. buses impede driver vision. The ATU has called for a design fix to reduce the number of pedestrians struck by bus drivers.

Anna Colon was killed in the 9th Precinct, where officers ticket an average of one motorist a day for failing to yield, and in the City Council district represented by Rosie Mendez.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

School Bus Driver Hits Cyclist, Injures 3, On Major Brooklyn School Bike Route

The crash happened on the route of the weekly Bergen bike bus.

September 21, 2023

City of Yes Yes Yes! Adams Calls for Elimination of Parking Mandates on ALL New Housing

Mayor Adams today announced the historic end to one of the city’s most antiquated — and despised — zoning laws requiring the construction of parking with every new development.

September 21, 2023

Cruise Ships Saddle Red Hook with Traffic ‘Nightmare,’ Toxic Fumes

Red Hook is drowning in traffic and smog from cruise ships Mayor Adams has touted as a "boost" to the economy.

September 21, 2023

Thursday Headlines: UN Hypocrisy Week Edition

The Bronx Zoo and the New York Botanical Garden preach climate action, yet still oppose better bus service. Plus other news.

September 21, 2023

Online Retailers Selling Illegal Batteries and Mopeds to City Buyers

Call it Amazon crime: The mammoth online retailer is selling illegal batteries and mopeds to city residents, despite such devices being forbidden from city streets.

September 21, 2023
See all posts