A woman was in critical condition this morning after after an RTD bus struck her while making an illegal turn, police say.
Bus driver Bill Roether was cited for turning from the wrong position and not excercising due care, according to Damon C. Landingham, the officer who investigated the crash.
The woman, whose identity has not been released, was taken to Denver Health Medical Center with head injuries following the 7:25 a.m. collision, Landingham said.
Capitol grounds keepers Marcelino Spagnuolo and Derek Mastay, both 20, were waiting to walk across 14th Avenue when they saw the bus turning from the middle lane onto Lincoln Street. A woman they estimated to be in her late 50s or early 60s, wearing an employee badge around her neck, was carrying several bags, the workers said.
“He was in the middle of the lane going left,” Mastay said. “It was an illegal turn. She was almost all the way across. She didn’t see the bus until it was inches from her.”
“She screamed just before the bus hit her,” Spagnuolo said.
The woman flew backwards after the bus smacked her on the back of the head, he said.
The bus driver didn’t see the woman until he was right on top of her and couldn’t stop the bus, Landingham said.
He said the woman had the right of way, according to witnesses.
RTD is doing an independent investigation of the crash, RTD spokeswoman Georgann Fisher said.
“She did have a walk sign,” said Fisher, speaking about the woman who was struck.
Staff writer Kirk Mitchell can be reached at 303-820-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com.
