ATLANTA — A passenger on a transit bus said she heard banging on the side of the bus right before it ran over a man on an electric scooter.
The accident happened late Wednesday night at the intersection of 15th and West Peachtree streets.
Atlanta police said a CobbLinc bus collided with Brad Alexander, 37, who was riding on a scooter. The bus was turning onto 15th Street and hit Alexander.
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Channel 2's Richard Elliot spoke with a woman who was on the bus when it happened. Drea Wilkins said Alexander tried to warn the bus driver that he was there.
“It was scary,” Wilkins said. “We just heard somebody beating on the side of the bus.”
When the bus turned, Wilkins said the passengers knew it had hit the man on the scooter.
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“(A passenger) was, like, ‘You ran over someone,’ and the bus driver was, like, ‘Are you serious?’ And he was, like, ‘Yeah.’ So, she jumped off the bus, and when she jumped off the bus, she was just screaming, ‘Oh, my God! Oh, my God!’ Wilkins said.
Wilkins said everyone tried to help the man until police and emergency medical technicians arrived.
They pulled Alexander out from the under the bus, and he died at the scene.
Another witness, who only identified himself as Louis J., said he feels badly for the man and his family, but also feels badly for the bus driver.
“I can only imagine, like, how that person felt, as the busy driver, the trauma that they might be going through, as well,” Louis said.
So far, Atlanta police have not determined who was at fault in the wreck.
Cobb County released a statement about the accident:
"We are deeply saddened about the incident involving one of our buses last night, and our thoughts go out to the family of the victim.
"We are also very concerned about the welfare of our CobbLinc driver, the two passengers on the bus and anyone who may have witnessed this incident.
"We are being fully cooperative and have provided any video or statements necessary as part of Atlanta Police Department’s investigation."