A teenage pedestrian, hit by an MBTA bus in Boston's Roslindale neighborhood, is expected to recover after the accident yesterday. The incident occurred around 5:30 p.m. on Washington Street, where it brushes against Jamaica Plain, when the 19-year-old male was struck. According to Boston 25, the young man, who has special needs, had just left the Emporium Gas Station and Car Wash moments before attempting to navigate the busy road on his way home. Jose Calderon, a witness who rushed to aid the teenager, told NBC Boston, "We just heard the bang, and when we looked, he was just flying in the air."
Despite initial public concerns, MBTA Transit Police assert that the bus driver was, indeed, abiding by the speed limit at the time of the collision. As reported by Boston.com, Superintendent Richard Sullivan said the male, who had been leaning against a light pole, "inexplicably ran into the street and in the path of the approaching bus," a scene unfolding without the guidance of a designated crosswalk near 3875 Washington St. The bus operator attempted to avoid the collision but unfortunately was unable to prevent the incident. The teen, remaining conscious and alert during the ordeal, was transported to a local hospital with injuries deemed nonlife-threatening.
The Route 30 bus's windshield was left shattered, an echo of the chaos captured by video footage from the scene, and images shared by Boston 25. "We are grateful the young man did not sustain any serious injuries," Sullivan remarked following the accident. This sentiment was a small solace amid the bustle of a road frequented by several bus routes, especially with the Forest Hills MBTA station less than a mile away.
Calderon's attempt to turn the situation into a teaching moment resonated in reflection of danger and urban haste. "It is dangerous," he emphatically recalled to NBC Boston. "If you don't look both ways before you cross, you're going to get hit, 100%." The statement not only serves to caution pedestrians but inadvertently also implicates the environment in which such an incident could not, but occur. The area in question lacks pedestrian crosswalks, a reality not lost on residents acutely aware of the risks embedded in their everyday commutes.
