Downtown Duluth bus-pedestrian crash ruled ‘accident’

May 31-- May 31--The Duluth Police Department called a May 18 bus-pedestrian crash in downtown Duluth "an accident" on Thursday, but the driver of the bus is no longer employed by the Duluth Transit Authority.

The 72-year-old woman injured in the crash was treated at St. Luke's hospital. She has since retained an attorney, a representative with the DTA said.

"It was determined that this incident was an accident and the driver wasn't cited," Duluth police spokesperson Ingrid Hornibrook said. in an email statement. "The pedestrian was hit and fell, causing her to be pinned under the bus."

The crash occurred early in the afternoon on May 18 at the intersection of Third Avenue West and Superior Street. Dozens of first responders swarmed to the 300 block of West Superior Street and the extraction effort forced the temporary closure of Superior Street. The intersection at the site of the crash feeds into the Duluth Transportation Center one block lower on Michigan Street. It features more than 120 turning buses every day. The bus involved in the crash was making a left turn onto Superior Street in order to proceed west.

"I can tell you they're no longer employed here," DTA General Manager Phil Pumphrey said about the driver. "I can't comment beyond that for personnel actions."

Pumphrey said the DTA has been in contact with its insurance company and attorneys, but wouldn't speculate whether or not the company would face a lawsuit from the victim of the crash.

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