My guess is that the bus driver didn't check to see if pedestrians were leaving the sidewalk and walking in a direction that would lead them into the path of the bus. When she began her turn there was nobody there, so she just went. Just flat out bad driving.

Agreed, Dave J. Nothing more than inattentive driving (which is still criminal negligence).

Sometimes I read these comments and feel like a real asshole. It's totally inattentive driving, yes. But...wasn't it also inattentive walking? Sure they had the right of way - but don't walk in front of an accelerating bus and just assume it's going to stop.

This story is just horrific.

I agree it sounds like it was just inattentive driving. So so sad. It seems that TriMet actually has a pretty decent record. With hundreds of buses cruising around all parts of the city all day and night, there aren't that many such incidents.

But one is too many of course.

@ Reymont -

No comment on the "asshole" bit but they were halfway across the crosswalk when they were plowed into. They didn't walk into the bus.

Thanks for posting.

@Blabby: I agree. When looked at in terms of miles drive per incident, it seems to me that Trimet is incrediblly safe. But yet, one is still too many.

Wow Reymont ! You should feel like an asshole . Inattentive walking ? Im guessing no one could escape the horrific driving of this moron or at least one person would have . The bus wasn't heading straight for them . The bus driver turned left into them while they were in the CROSSWALK with the RIGHT OF WAY . What a sad , sad story . :(

Neither of them was paying enough attention. Neither the fact that bus was turning or their position in the crosswalk changes that.

If the bus was turning left it couldn't have been going very fast - those things can't make a 90-degree turn on a dime. And if it was turning left, it had to lumber across the whole damn intersection to get to them - the driver had a lot of time to see them in her way, and the pedestrians had a lot of time to see her coming.

I'm not saying that anyone ISN'T at fault, I'm saying that both are. Maybe there's no point to that, but I was surprised when the other comments uniformly blamed the driver.

Portlanders don't exactly have a reputation for stopping for vehicles on the street. And at just before midnight on a Saturday, one could assume -- just as easily as one could assume the driver was inattentive -- that the pedestrians were not vigilant. Maybe, too, they were drunk.

But that's why investigations are held, so that we don't wrongly demonize people (bus drivers OR victims).

So, uh, chill the fuck out, you guys.

Reymont: You could be paying attention to a bus that's apparently turning toward you, and still get hit by it. Buses are huge. And if I was crossing an intersection and saw one turning toward me, I would first assume that the driver sees me, and that it will soon slow and let me finish crossing. By the time I realized it was not stopping, it might be difficult to jump out of the way.

Reymont not sure how much pedestrianism you engage in everyday but I engage in it all the time, everyday, in Downtown Portland as my primary means of transportation.

The law is pretty clear: If pedestrians are in the crosswalk you don't enter. "I didn't see them" is not an excuse. As a driver, particularly a TriMet driver who drives professionally for a living, you are to be 100% attentive of your surroundings at all times. Says so right in the Oregon Driver's Manual and there are actually questions on the written exam that test this.

I know that as a Vantuckian you are probably car-centric and not understanding or symapthetic to the plight that pedestrians in Downtown Portland have to deal with, but do try and look outside the box, here.

@ROM - You're probably right, I know, and you phrase it well. All I can say is that I feel like I would have seen it and had time to get out of the way. Lots of drivers downtown don't see you - especially Saturday night at midnight.

@Jakattak - I'm not sure you read any of my posts above? I'm sure not saying the driver isn't at fault, and I used those exact words. Of course there's no excuse for not seeing the pedestrians. But why are you so quick to excuse the pedestrians? They don't have any personal responsibility to not walk in front of moving buses? Isn't this an example of the cliche - sure, they had the right of way, but they are way past caring.

And I'm not a Vantuckian- not sure where you got that? Love my cars but I'm an inner-city kid, and grew up on Tri-Met.

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In both of these posts, and I thought more in the past but only found these (so far), you claim Vancouver.

The very plight you speak of, jackattack, is the de facto onus on the pedestrian of the need for extreme caution as the most vulnerable party in an extremely dangerous environment. Anyone who does much walking around in high traffic environments has probably had at least one close call in which they were the negligent party, and as such should be plenty aware of the fact that all of the other people out there are just as capable of making a mistake once, too, whether they be driving, walking, or biking. Everyone bears the burden of keeping both themselves and others out of harms way, regardless of what the law has to say about it.

I disagree, spudboy.

The burden is on those careening around town in the 4,000-lb. steel deathtraps not looking where they're going. Vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians and bicyclists, are mere flesh and bone. They are lives. They are humans. How anyone in an automobile could discount this fact by driving inattentively (or wanton engangerment, which I've seen plenty of and retaliated against myself) is beyond me.

I'm not saying that Sandi Day should be persecuted for not seeing the pedestrians. I am saying she's completely, 100% at fault, as is any vehicle that hits pedestrians in a crosswalk where they have the right of way.

That's my point, here. The pedestrians weren't 50% at fault. They weren't 5% at fault. They were, in fact, not at fault at all, by the law.

Ha, wow - didn't think you'd be interested in the fine details. :) I was 28th-and-Burnside until I ended up in V-town for High School after my parents divorced. Came back to PDX right after the Army.

I actually came back to say - you know, I bet they have intersections in Vancouver, too! Haha. I bet you and I don't *actually* have ninja street-crossing skills, just because we hang out downtown. Wait for the light, look both ways...

Having said all that, Spudboy, I just last week nearly walked right into traffic by my house close to PSU because I was not paying attention. I didn't have a crosswalk signal and I ignorantly stepped into the crosswalk and noticed a car coming right at me. I quickly got right back up on the sidewalk, waved and mouthed "I'm SO SORRY" to the driver, and waited for the crosswalk signal like I should've in the first damned place.

So yes, I realize that the pedestrians CAN BE at fault sometimes. When they have the cross signal is not one of those times, particularly when a professtional driver is making a left turn.

Reymont - I just have a good memory and have been posting here for a couple years, now.

Hell no I don't have ninja crossing skills, and I am nearly hit by deadly scofflaw motorists almost every single day during my morning commute, and I walk through the park blocks! There is nothing worse than the West Side Suburbanite assholes plowing into Downtown at 7AM without a care in the world at the Market St. and Park Ave. crosswalk. I have written the city many times over this and have never gotten anything that I've suggested. I have suggested putting motorcycle cops there for just a week between 6:30-7AM to run a sting on these people. This would be such a revenue generator for the city, especially from a community that is a visitor to our fair city.

Has anyone pointed out how we seem to have more oversight when someone gets run over by one of our bus drivers than when they're shot to death by one of our cops?

Really now people.......Yes those buses cannot turn on a dime but they do not just lumber through when they are turning I know I used to drive buses and 2 days before this HORRIBLE accident I made a comment to my husband about the TriMet drivers. I was in my car at a red light next to the TriMet bus while it was dropping off and when the light turned green it pulls out and almost hits me but if it wasn't for the fact there weren't any cars in the lane next to me I would of be hit by that driver. This is why I stay as far away from these buses as possible because MOST of these drivers act like they are the only things on the road and the rules of the road do not apply to them.....AND remember this is a flat nose bus with lots of windows in the front so I don't get how the driver would not of seen 5 people.....It's the cops fault when they shoot a dope dealing gangster and its the citizens fault when they get ran over by a bus driver when walking in a cross walk, I guess that's why people call Portland "The Largest Open Air Asylum In The Country".

Oh Reymont, poor boy, people tend to blame the victims as a means of coping with fears of their own mortality...do deal with that... but these are real people out in the elements and did not deserve to have a damn bus plow into them no matter what they did.

I know you disagree, jackattack, and I appreciate you being civil about it...

Even if, in a given situation, the operator of the vehicle is 100% responsible for the death of the pedestrian, that doesn't mean the pedestrian didn't have the opportunity to be 100% responsible for their survival. I know that there have been at least a few times that I would have wound up pretty dead if I hadn't waived my right of way to someone who didn't deserve the courtesy. If I had been killed, it certainly wouldn't have been my fault, but I wasn't killed, and that was my fault. I think that is the point reymont was trying to make, although how much it actually applies to this incident, I don't know. In any case, incidents such as this can serve as important reminders that we all need to pay a whole lot of attention when we are out on the road, no matter our chosen conveyance, and ignoring the fact that we all have the opportunity to ensure the safety of both ourselves and others just sets the scene for more such unfortunate incidents.

Point taken, spudboy.

And I strive to be civil, always. Ok, sometimes. ;)

inattentive walking? Some people should be banned from using the internet. jackattak you are one of them. Save your horrible thoughts to yourself and dont share them with anyone, you truly are a moron. I hope you dont reproduce.

@ cbrian17 - I never used the term "inattentive walking" so not sure why you're trolling me.

It's a heartbreaking horrible event, nobody disagrees.
But ya know what, no matter who ends up getting crucified for this nothing can change events. Bad stuff happens in life, there is no explanation, no matter how hard people need to have one to survive.

I don't know about your religious philosophies, but a biblical quote is in order here:

'Come on now, you who say, "today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell and make a profit", whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say "If the lord wills we shall live and do this or that." But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.
{James 4:13-16)

This is my first time viewing this blog, first time on the site. I just read about the bus accident. As a non-driver for many years, I understand both "sides". I remember driving and being totally obsessed with getting where I was going in the shortest possible time. I also remember some really scary lapses of attention where I couldn't remember getting to where I was because I'd been on "automatic pilot" for a while. I have also been in many near-miss situations as a pedestrian, and drenched with water from oblivious passing drivers. I think it all comes down to how much we decide to pay attention, and to SLOW DOWN. With the possible exception of a sociopath, nobody wants to kill someone else in a traffic accident. And in the end, deciding whom to blame just gives us the illusion of some control. My condolences to the families and the accident victims, as well as the driver.

Hey Reymont . I would love to see you try to get out of the way of a bus turning into you from behind , traveling fast enough to carry one of the victims at least 30 feet on the windshield . Once again you are totally missinformed and way off base . Do you do any research for yourself , or do you catch wind of something and just start running your mouth ?
How about the bus driver getting suspended WITH PAY !!! :O What do you have to do to get suspended without pay if you work for the city or state ? Kill someone ? I mean ............errrrrrrrrr.

@ PDX Oddball -

They can't suspend her without pay without a conviction of some sort.

Same goes for cops, teachers, etc.

I could be suspended without pay at any job i have ever held . I think if you kill a couple people , whether it be with a gun , bus , or hot dog , you should at least lose a couple bucks . If your found to be at fault do you have to pay the $ back ?

there is no excuse for these deaths, if this were any normal driver there would be immediate consequences, detainment, and charges issued because there is no good reason for any incident as this to ever occur. danielle's father has every right to be upset about the blatant neglect that took his daughter. i love danielle, she was one of the kindest, most concerned, and optimistic friends i have ever had...she was not an airhead who would walk into an unsafe situation. these deaths were senseless, im sorry the driver had this happen but sorry wont bring them back...its a lesson for all us drivers out there.

also, they werent drunk. neither danielle or erik were oblivious people.
for those of you wishing to discuss a pedestrian's responsibility, please either clarify that this is a universal topic or preferably divert it to another forum. these victims dont deserve your criticism and i hope none of the survivors ever read your targeting comments. im sure erik and all of them are already tearing themselves apart and blaming themselves for their loved ones being trapped under the buses wheels. i hope none of you ever suffer a tragedy like this.