Rachael Burt was walking near the federal courthouse in downtown Minneapolis on October 20 to support protesters facing a court hearing when a Metro Transit bus struck her and ran her over. The 34-year-old was livestreaming at the time, and the broadcast kept rolling as she lay injured on the pavement, capturing nearly 18 minutes of the chaotic aftermath before help arrived.
In the video, Burt can be heard screaming for help and voicing fear that her back was broken, according to KARE 11. Bystanders rushed to comfort her and called 911 as the livestream continued to post the immediate aftermath of the collision in real time.
Metro Transit Police responded to a report of an individual struck by a bus near 3rd Street and 4th Avenue South in Minneapolis, a Metro Transit spokesperson said. The struck individual, later identified as Burt, was transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital and remained in stable condition, the spokesperson said. Metro Transit reported no other injuries from the incident.
Burt Describes Her Injuries
Burt said she lost 40% of her blood and suffered a shattered pelvis, a uterine injury, three strokes and extensive road rash as a result of being struck and run over. She confirmed, however, that the incident did not leave her paralyzed. Those details about the extent of her injuries come from Burt herself rather than from Metro Transit or hospital officials.
Amid the panic, Burt said she sought out and connected with a woman through social media who had called 911 and stayed with her, offering comfort until emergency responders arrived on scene. That connection, made in the middle of the ordeal, became part of how Burt pieced together what happened to her in the moments after the bus struck her.
A Pattern Seen Beyond Minneapolis
Bus-to-person collisions are not unique to Minneapolis. Federal data cited in a safety advisory from the Federal Transit Administration show such collisions resulted in 596 fatalities nationwide, or 14 percent of all transit fatalities, along with 8,259 injuries; from 2017 through 2023, 41 percent happened at roadway intersections, 35 percent mid-block, and 24 percent at or near bus stops.
Similar incidents have made headlines elsewhere in recent weeks. In Northwest Washington, D.C., a man was struck by a Metro Bus while crossing the street near New Hampshire Avenue and Georgia Avenue and was taken to a hospital in critical condition, according to FOX 5 DC. And in Portland, a separate pedestrian incident was reported near Southwest 11th Avenue and Yamhill Street, as KGW reported.
Back in Minneapolis, Burt's account of the day centers on why she was downtown in the first place: to stand with protesters who were due in court that day near the federal courthouse. What began as an act of solidarity turned into a medical emergency that she ended up documenting for her own followers as it unfolded.
