CTA Accidents

[artthouwill]

This is one of the most heart-wrenching accidents anybody could ever imagine. A one-year old girl has been killed by getting hit by a bus (4314) (6) on 77th and South Shore. We all have to be careful and mindful while outside, especially us who have children because this is very unacceptable and saddening. However, the bus driver did the best he can to swerve out the way but the baby girl was pinned on the side and died at the scene.

http://my.chicagotribune.com/#section/1723/article/p2p-80317176/

Wow, what a terrible turn of events. My heart goes out to the mother.

[rotjohns]

Its sad what happened, but how did that one year old girl end up on the street???

Apparently, the mother went to get the girl's bike and left the girl with a neighbor while she did and the girl got away. It's truly sad to see this and it could've been completely prevented. Hearts and prayers go out to the family.

Having said that, is this the end of 4314? I know this wasn't inside the bus, but does CTA follow the same protocol with a death involving a CTA bus that it's removed from service?

[Guest]

So obviously no one watching the child!

[jajuan]

Apparently, the mother went to get the girl's bike and left the girl with a neighbor while she did and the girl got away. It's truly sad to see this and it could've been completely prevented. Hearts and prayers go out to the family.

Having said that, is this the end of 4314? I know this wasn't inside the bus, but does CTA follow the same protocol with a death involving a CTA bus that it's removed from service?

So obviously no one watching the child!

Just read about this on my ABC7 alarm clock app which also gives news of the day shown on Eyewitness News. It's a tragic thing accident indeed. It's highly doubtful that the bus would be removed from service since there is no major damage. The TMC on which Blair Holt's tragic murder occurred was placed back in service very soon after that tragic event as I recall. So 4314 will also just as likely go back on the road.

As for saying that no one was watching this child, no one can assume that. From personal memories and observances of several younger relatives' childhoods from the moment they were all babies, I can say it's very easy to turn your back for only a couple of seconds to check on what's going on with another child, for example, and that toddler can zip away on you. Hell a toddler can zip away on you while you're right next to them and looking right at them. And that could have easily happened here. For all any of us know, this child may have had an adult trying to catch up with her before she got into the street and unfortunately they didn't reach her in time. Let's not dump on this family's already tragic time with quick assumptions that she wasn't being watched.

[garmon757]

Just read about this on my ABC7 alarm clock app which also gives news of the day shown on Eyewitness News. It's a tragic thing accident indeed. It's highly doubtful that the bus would be removed from service since there is no major damage. The TMC on which Blair Holt's tragic murder occurred was placed back in service very soon after that tragic event as I recall. So 4314 will also just as likely go back on the road.

As for saying that no one was watching this child, no one can assume that. From personal memories and observances of several younger relatives' childhoods from the moment they were all babies, I can say it's very easy to turn your back for only a couple of seconds to check on what's going on with another child, for example, and that toddler can zip away on you. Hell a toddler can zip away on you while you're right next to them and looking right at them. And that could have easily happened here. For all any of us know, this child may have had an adult trying to catch up with her before she got into the street and unfortunately they didn't reach her in time. Let's not dump on this family's already tragic time with quick assumptions that she wasn't being watched.

I'm just wondering what was the neighbor doing though? You have a valid point but that question is up in the air.

[MTRSP1900-CTA3200]

Wow, what a sad event... You never know what can happen in a few seconds.

...

Having said that, is this the end of 4314? I know this wasn't inside the bus, but does CTA follow the same protocol with a death involving a CTA bus that it's removed from service?

Interesting idea, but I doubt it. I've only heard of this within the airline industry, and that only happens with flight numbers, including the Southwest plane that went off the runway at Midway in 2005.

[artthouwill]

Wow, what a sad event... You never know what can happen in a few seconds.

Interesting idea, but I doubt it. I've only heard of this within the airline industry, and that only happens with flight numbers, including the Southwest plane that went off the runway at Midway in 2005.

That indeed is true. The flight numbers are no longer used when involved in an accident when there is loss of life.

[jajuan]

I'm just wondering what was the neighbor doing though? You have a valid point but that question is up in the air.

That of course assumes any of the neighbors were close enough to have intervened, and that may not have necessarily been the case even though the question is a valid one outside of that.

[Busjack]

...

Having said that, is this the end of 4314? I know this wasn't inside the bus, but does CTA follow the same protocol with a death involving a CTA bus that it's removed from service?

What reason should there be? That accident probably takes about 20 minutes to investigate, and if there is any reason to believe that the brakes failed (and I don't see any), that could be quickly verified, too.

In that it seems acknowledged that the baby ran out into the street,* I don't see any litigation contemplated for which evidence would have to be preserved.

If a bus was to be permanently withdrawn because it got into an accident, there would be about 300 buses in the yard by now, not just the couple with broken windshields.You seem to be advocating throwing out $941,000 just on the basis of sentiment.

__________

*With all the cameras on a new bus, I'm sure that can also be quickly verified.

[BusHunter]

Maybe 103rd need to hire a voodoo doctor to say something over these #4300's at 103rd. First #4323 and now this.

[garmon757]

Maybe 103rd need to hire a voodoo doctor to say something over these #4300's at 103rd. First #4323 and now this.

Speaking of #4300s, there's another one in the back @ South Shop by #4323. I couldn't get the number but it's not #4314 because I went out there prior to the accident.

[jajuan]

The exception is 4314 will be back in service unless as Busjack pointed out the bus was going to be held for evidence in some form of suit which isn't likely with just about everyone in agreement the baby ran into the street. A more important issue that came to my mind on CTA's side of this is how long the poor operator may need off from work given anyone in that position would be royally shaken up after having a baby run out in front of their vehicle and not being able to stop in time to avoid hitting that child.

[qwantae]

So obviously no one watching the child!

Exactly, I smell an Lack of Parenting, No Supervision or the neighbor obviously wasn't doing a very good job watching the kid. It happens all the time. I seen a little boy (looks like an 4 Year Old) almost got hit by an upcoming 8A bus at 79th/ Halsted Terminal while the young mother was on the phone texting, then I hear the elderly couple got on the bus #8 (Bus I was on) was yapping about the mother not watching for her 3 kids at whereabouts.

[strictures]

Exactly, I smell an Lack of Parenting, No Supervision or the neighbor obviously wasn't doing a very good job watching the kid. It happens all the time. I seen a little boy (looks like an 4 Year Old) almost got hit by an upcoming 8A bus at 79th/ Halsted Terminal while the young mother was on the phone texting, then I hear the elderly couple got on the bus #8 (Bus I was on) was yapping about the mother not watching for her 3 kids at whereabouts.

I saw the mother on the 10PM TV news. Don't remember which station, I was flipping around the stations. She wasn't blaming the inattentive neighbor, I'm not sure why though.

As for the bus, maybe they will renumber it & send it to North Park, where there are a lot of 4300s now.

[Busjack]

I saw the mother on the 10PM TV news. Don't remember which station, I was flipping around the stations. She wasn't blaming the inattentive neighbor, I'm not sure why though.

As for the bus, maybe they will renumber it & send it to North Park, where there are a lot of 4300s now.

The only thing I saw on the news was that mommy went back to the building to get the child a toy, which was futile. I wonder why people think that the neighbors were going to see a toddler run out into the street.

As for the second WHY??? It isn't like the bus was driven into the World Trade Center or something like that.

[garmon757]

I saw the mother on the 10PM TV news. Don't remember which station, I was flipping around the stations. She wasn't blaming the inattentive neighbor, I'm not sure why though.

As for the bus, maybe they will renumber it & send it to North Park, where there are a lot of 4300s now.

Why would they do that? That's like saying for now on no new buses will have 14 as the last two digits just like Pace did it with 13 in which I still find that bs pathetic as hell.

[TripleTransit1]

I saw the mother on the 10PM TV news. Don't remember which station, I was flipping around the stations. She wasn't blaming the inattentive neighbor, I'm not sure why though.

As for the bus, maybe they will renumber it & send it to North Park, where there are a lot of 4300s now.

They're not gonna renumber #4314 and send it anywhere else. North Park has enough 4000s and non-hybrid 4300s as it is.

[strictures]

They're not gonna renumber #4314 and send it anywhere else. North Park has enough 4000s and non-hybrid 4300s as it is.

With the family living right there on South Shore Dr., they might demand moving that bus as part of or instead of a lawsuit. All that will take is a media event from them & their alderman looking for some TV time.

They'll have no grounds for a suit, but there's always some slimy lawyer who thinks he can make a buck for himself.

As for moving it, they could trade one for one with North Park.

[Busjack]

With the family living right there on South Shore Dr., they might demand moving that bus as part of or instead of a lawsuit. All that will take is a media event from them & their alderman looking for some TV time.

They'll have no grounds for a suit, but there's always some slimy lawyer who thinks he can make a buck for himself.

As for moving it, they could trade one for one with North Park.

This makes absolutely no sense at all. Besides there apparently being no basis for a lawsuit, since when has CTA assigned buses on the basis of some family sensitivity?

There was much more publicity when the rear wheels of a bus ran over somebody at Sheridan and Foster, but I don't recall it anywhere being stated that the bus was transferred to 74th and renumbered. At least that resulted in a lawsuit, and CTA putting some sort of fender guards in front of the rear wheels.

Maybe the family should demand that the 6 bus not run on South Shore Drive. Sure.

BTW, on your lawyer surmise, what is 33% of a promise to renumber a bus worth? Personal injury cases are on a contingency.

[jajuan]

I saw the mother on the 10PM TV news. Don't remember which station, I was flipping around the stations. She wasn't blaming the inattentive neighbor, I'm not sure why though.

As for the bus, maybe they will renumber it & send it to North Park, where there are a lot of 4300s now.

Well if in fact she did go inside to fetch the child a toy as I'm belatedly learning, the responsibility still ultimately fell on her and not the neighbor to have kept a close enough eye on this child so that the child had a much lower probability of running out into the street. On that note, I'm going to look at it as a serious and gross misjudgment on the mother's part since none of us knows her enough outside of the news stories and what we've heard so far to making any bigger summaries of her parenting skills. If the neighbor were guilty of anything, it's probably not speaking up and saying to her 'Hey I know you only think you're going to be inside for a just few seconds, but you need to have this baby inside with you while you're getting her toy.' And as has already been said, 4314 isn't getting a new number and it won't be getting reassigned just on the sole basis of an unfortunate and tragic accident. If they didn't make such moves with the 4400 on which Blair Holt's death occurred with his death being from a murder, they're not going to do so with 4314 because of this child's death.

The only thing I saw on the news was that mommy went back to the building to get the child a toy, which was futile. I wonder why people think that the neighbors were going to see a toddler run out into the street.

As for the second WHY??? It isn't like the bus was driven into the World Trade Center or something like that.

Agreed.

With the family living right there on South Shore Dr., they might demand moving that bus as part of or instead of a lawsuit. All that will take is a media event from them & their alderman looking for some TV time.

They'll have no grounds for a suit, but there's always some slimy lawyer who thinks he can make a buck for himself.

As for moving it, they could trade one for one with North Park.

Again, extremely unlikely and not going to happen. Any reassignment that bus sees will come from CTA's usual machinations with shifting buses from garage to garage and therefore mean the bus gets reassigned as part of a group, if and when in the much farther future than this it does get reassigned.

[TripleTransit1]

With the family living right there on South Shore Dr., they might demand moving that bus as part of or instead of a lawsuit. All that will take is a media event from them & their alderman looking for some TV time.

They'll have no grounds for a suit, but there's always some slimy lawyer who thinks he can make a buck for himself.

As for moving it, they could trade one for one with North Park.

Nobody's suing anybody. No bus is being moved to another garage. This was just one of those tragic "wrong place, wrong time" moments.

[sw4400]

This really P.O'es me! The Mother of that 1 &1/2 year old is suing the CTA for what? I hope she has more kids, so DCFS can get involved and take them away from her! Unacceptable course of action on her part!

Story

"Upshaw claims the driver did not maintain proper speed and failed to properly swerve to avoid hitting Cherish. The suit claims Cherish's family, including her father and siblings, have suffered emotionally and financially after her death."

It says right here....

Authorities said at the time Cherish had run in to the street about 3:20 p.m. when the bus driver spotted the child. The driver tried swerving the bus to avoid hitting her but couldn't in time.

This driver did everything in his power to avoid the child given the situation he was in...

And where was this "Mother"(and I use that term loosely here)?

"I left for a second just to retrieve her bike. I thought she was with people who were keeping an eye on her," Upshaw said.

Any parent would not leave their child unattended for any length of time, especially near a dangerous area like South Shore Drive, where traffic flows at a good clip I'm sure(at least 30-35 mph I bet). The first time a woman apparently pulled her off the road before the accident, but that could've been a passerby. It doesn't mention a relative or friend the Mother knew pulling the kid off the road. You never think she was with people watching your child... you know!!! If anything, blame your neighbor that was watching her! She should be the one in court being sued... she's the responsible party here!

IMO, this is an example of how not to be a good parent... I, for one, am hoping the CTA wins this case and the Judge throws it out of court and if she has more kids, contact DCFS to investigate them.

[BusHunter]

That is really something else, but I figured they would sue, cause everyone just thinks of money nowadays. If that is true that the child was pulled out of the street a first time, that's clearly negligence on the part of the mother. This whole case needs further investigation, the mother doesn't look so innocent to me!! I can't help but think what this means for #4314. Will it be kept off the street as evidence? Wasn't there a rail accident on the south side where people were climbing up the structure and saying they were on the train that crashed? i vaguely remember hearing that story somewhere, but it just goes to show how selfish and greedy people can be.

[jajuan]

Absolutely ridiculous. I was willing to give this mom the benefit of the doubt early on because of the fact that we didn't yet know many of the details. But I spotted the headline and read up the initial stories about her suing, and I'm thinking how the hell does she figure the bus driver was negligent when just about everyone who witnessed the accident stated that the child darted out in front of the bus and that the driver did try to stop and/or swerve to prevent hitting her but couldn't stop in time because that's just how fast this child darted out into the street? And if she does have other kids and it's true that it's not the first time that child had run off into the street, she's an idiot for bringing this suit because she does risk opening that can of worms that relevant authorities look more closely at her because you better believe CTA's lawyers are going to dig to build the case for CTA's defense against this suit. One final thought, if some ambulance chasing, money grubbing attorney talk her into this stupid move, I hold that person up as an example of one who gives lawyers a bad name and question their competence as a lawyer considering all witness who've already spoken so far have already been consistent in their statements that the bus driver did try to stop and that the child darted out just that fast for there to be no time to prevent hitting her. In a day when almost every time everyone nearby is quick to say it's the CTA's fault in accidents involving the CTA, that detail alone says something because of the fact that this time almost none of them put blame on the CTA or the bus driver.

[Busjack]

The comments to that post on NBCChicago.com unanimously shared that opinion. I have the feeling that some lawyer put out the press release just to get some publicity.

This might turn out like Donald Sterling suing and withdrawing, A Roid suing and withdrawing, Farmer's Insurance suing and withdrawing, etc. At some point, once it appears that this won't settle, the lawyer will decide that it doesn't pay for him to finance a suit that isn't going anywhere, nor face sanctions under Rule 137 if the complaint was not "... to the best of [the lawyer's] knowledge, information, and belief formed after reasonable inquiry it is well grounded in fact...." Especially, since previously noted, CTA undoubtedly has video.

I also have the feeling that the mother's comparative negligence would be used against her, or at least results in a countersuit against her by CTA. She sure doesn't look like she could pay any such judgment.