What should have been a joyous holiday season for Kimberly Greer and her friends and family was destroyed when she was struck and killed by a charter bus in Lower Manhattan on Thursday, December 20th, 2018.
The accident occurred when the bus made a left turn onto Leonard Street from Centre Street, right near Columbus Park, at around 7:30 p.m. Bus passenger Demetric Pringle told NBC New York that after making the turn, the driver got off the bus to see what happened, and returned asking passengers for help.
“He was panicked,” said Pringle. “[He] said ‘I need 911.'”
Another passenger who was on the bus said that she did not feel a collision or notice anything when the accident occurred. Sadly, what she did not realize was that Kimberly Greer was laying pinned under the rear of the bus. A witness revealed that Greer was not responsive when he called for her to wake up or speak. By the time she was taken to New York Hospital, she was pronounced dead.
The driver of the bus was identified as 50-year-old Xi Chen, and he was later taken into police custody and charged with failure to yield to a pedestrian. The company that owns the bus, which was headed for Memphis at the time of the accident, was identified as NYC Style Limo.
“This is somebody’s mother, sister, daughter, waiting for her to come home,” said Pringle, “and now she won’t.”
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the friends and family of Kimberly Greer, who now have to deal with an unspeakable tragedy at a time of the year which should be filled with celebrations and quality time with loved ones.
Motor vehicle operators in New York City must always remain vigilant due to the high number of pedestrians on the streets, particularly when driving heavy vehicles such as a bus. According to the New York State Department of Vehicles, less than 10% of motor vehicle collisions in New York involve a pedestrian-however, pedestrians make up more than 25% of fatalities in such crashes, demonstrating the heightened risk that pedestrians face when motorists don’t demonstrate due care while operating their vehicles.
Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Vision Zero plan was launched in 2014 with the goal of finally putting an end to pedestrian traffic fatalities. One initiative of this plan is to “expand outreach and enforcement program[s] for intercity buses, charter buses, and commercial trucks.” Hopefully the city and state government’s efforts in this area, combined with devastating tragedies such as this, motivate professional drivers to be more careful while operating their vehicles, and to recognize the immense responsibility they’ve been entrusted with.
When lives are changed by the serious injury or death of a loved one at the hands of a negligent driver, a lawyer can help recover compensation for damages suffered, even if they cannot undo the intense emotional suffering and trauma that such accidents cause. The experienced personal injury attorneys at Block O’Toole & Murphy have a demonstrated expertise in successfully litigating bus accidents in New York. Select results include:
- $3,450,000 settlement for a man who was struck and dragged by a bus while walking in a crosswalk in Queens
- $3,000,000 settlement for a man who was hit by a bus while driving through an intersection in Brooklyn
- $2,200,000 settlement for a woman who was struck by a bus which failed to yield the right of way
To receive a free, one-on-one legal consultation with one of our attorneys, please call 212-736-5300 or fill out our online contact form.