By GERRY SHIH Special to the Daily Press
DOWNTOWN A Big Blue Bus hit a pedestrian while he was crossing Santa Monica Boulevard yesterday evening around 5 p.m., further exacerbating the rush hour congestion as Santa Monica Police officers rerouted traffic around the accident scene.
The route 1 bus, which connects Venice to UCLA, was apparently making a right turn off of Ocean Avenue onto Santa Monica Boulevard when it struck a middle-aged man. Witnesses said the victim did not scream as he laid on the pavement, face-down and seemingly in shock, as his legs remained stuck under the front right wheel of the bus for nearly 15 minutes before emergency medical personnel eventually raised the bus with a jack.
The man suffered heavy bleeding,and a considerable pool of blood remained visible on the pavement after he was removed by officials.
Police officers at the scene declined to comment. The watch commander at the department said no information was available as the case was still under investigation, and the extent of the victim’s injuries were unknown.
Locals on the scene said that the city bus drivers’aggressive style was well known to some.
“The bus drivers a lot of times just don’t respect the lights,” said an eyewitness waiter who declined to give his name because he was concerned with repercussions from his employers, BOA’s Steakhouse, a restaurant located on the corner of the accident. “The man was crossing the street when he had the walk signal on, and then, boom.”
The driver, a middle-aged male, was seen chatting with police officers before being driven away, presumably for more questioning.
Ocean Avenue between Broadway and Arizona Avenue was cordoned off, and the heavy traffic from the seaside artery was redirected through inland detours by police officers deployed in intersections along Second Street.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 6, 2007. Read the original PDF.