BRONX, NY- The nyc.streetsblog.org reports that a 7-year-old child riding a Razor scooter was struck and killed by an MTA bus on Webster Ave. in the Bronx. The boy, Shevon Bethea was from Brownsville, Brooklyn. At the time of the accident, he was visiting his father who lives in Fordham Heights. Shevon was taken to […]
BRONX, NY- The nyc.streetsblog.org reports that a 7-year-old child riding a Razor scooter was struck and killed by an MTA bus on Webster Ave. in the Bronx. The boy, Shevon Bethea was from Brownsville, Brooklyn. At the time of the accident, he was visiting his father who lives in Fordham Heights. Shevon was taken to St. Barnabas Hospital, but died from his injuries.
According to Shevon’s mother, the victim’s older brother, DiShawn, 10, witnessed the accident and is now traumatized. Following the accident, DiShawn reportedly told family members that the bus had gone through a red light when it hit Shevon, and then dragged him for about a block.
Shevon’smother, Nickya, 30, described Shevon as someone who “always lit up the entire room,” and said that the boy was a straight-A student who “really wanted to be somebody.”
A spokesperson for the New York Police Department, Officer George Tsourovakas, stated that the department is investigating every “facet of this incident.”
The 38-year-old bus driver who struck Shevon claimed that he failed to see the boy. The driver remained at the scene, and police have not yet filed any charges aboutthe incident. One witness described the accident by saying that Shevon appeared suddenly at the intersection.
The MTA has not yet released a comment on the tragic accident or the accusations made by the victim’s family. The agency also refused to provide any information about the driver that struck Shevon, including whether he had a clean driving record, and how long he had been driving for the MTA.
New York City has experienced a decline in pedestrian deaths as a result of Vision Zero. Organizations representing bus drivers have fought against the Vision Zero initiative and has made attempts to have their drivers exempt from some of the penalties included in the plan.
