By The Diary
Aug 17, 2024, 02:40 AM EDT
An MTA bus driver allegedly left the scene after fatally striking 31-year-old mother Amesha Keys just blocks from her Queens home last week, New York police said yesterday.
Keys was crossing the street when she was struck by an MTA bus turning left onto southbound Bedell Street near Baisley Boulevard around 8:35 p.m. on Aug. 6.
The victim, who lived on Baisley Boulevard, was rushed to the hospital but could not be saved. The driver did not remain at the scene, according to police. An MTA spokesman told PIX11 News that the unidentified worker passed drug or alcohol tests but has been suspended while the investigation continues. “This was a tragic incident that claimed the life of a New Yorker. Our hearts go out to the victim’s loved ones,” the spokesman said.
Keys was “a loving mother, daughter, sister and friend,” her grieving family said in a statement. GoFundMe. “Her smile brought comfort and joy to all those lucky enough to have experienced it. Her sudden loss has had a tremendous impact on family and friends alike.”
Late last month, an MTA bus crashed into a Burger King restaurant in Brooklyn (NYC) in the early morning after its driver reportedly suffered a medical issue. Miraculously, no one was injured in the crash, but the Department of Buildings (DOB) issued a full evacuation order for the establishment.
In February, a Hispanic man died dramatically on his 33rd birthday when the luxury car he was traveling in crashed into an MTA bus in Brooklyn.
Authorities remind that there is zero tolerance for drivers who drive at excessive speed and/or under the influence of alcohol and drugs. Cyclists and motorcyclists are also frequent protagonists of road accidents, as victims and perpetrators, by riding on sidewalks, disregarding traffic lights and even the direction of the streets.
In May, a 71-year-old Puerto Rican grandmother died after being hit by a driver who was fleeing from the police in Brooklyn (NYC) and left the scene by getting on the subway. Ironically, just hours before, Governor Kathy Hochul had signed the so-called Sammy’s Law, which reduces the speed limit to 20 mph and even 10 mph on some streets in the five boroughs of NYC to protect pedestrians. So far this year, more than 40 people have been killed in car accidents in the city.
Previously, in December, Gov. Hochul signed “Angelica’s Law,” designed to keep drivers with prior suspensions off the road by charging repeat offenders who operate vehicles after committing five or more traffic violations that resulted in suspensions or revocations with felonies.
- 2024 is the deadliest year on New York’s asphalt since Vision Zero was created to prevent deaths