The tragic crash happened last April as a group of 20-something friends were crossing NW Broadway with the walk light when a TriMet bus turned onto the street and plowed into them, killing Danielle Sale, 22, and Jeneé Hammel, 26, and injuring 22-year-old Robert Giddings.
Are lawsuits like this the only way to make an agency or company sit up and take notice of danger? TriMet seemed to respond to the deaths seriously. In addition to launching a major study of its safety, TriMet fired culpable driver Sandi Day, even though she originally received only a handful of tickets for causing the deaths and expressed extreme remorse. But the threat of a $30 million suit will certainly make them want to do everything possible to avoid running anyone over in the future.
