Laika

https://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?se...cal&id=3448792

Elderly Woman Killed By Hit And Run Tour Bus
Bus May Have Been Unaware That It Struck The Woman
By Jim Dolan
(New York -WABC, Sept. 16, 2005) - An elderly woman was struck and killed by a tour bus that apparently fled the scene in Lower Manhattan.

Eyewitness News reporter Jim Dolan is live with the latest.
Police are looking for a double-decker tour bus that may have struck and killed an elderly woman riding a bicycle in Lower Manhattan Friday.

It appears to be just a tragic accident. Police are investigating the possibility that the bus was unaware that it hit the woman.

It happened at the intersection of Water and Governor streets just after 10:00 a.m. The woman, identified as 65-year old Jen Shao was riding her bike east on Water Street. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

The tour bus - coming off of Governor Street - was making a right-hand turn when it apparently clipped Shao.

It was a crowded place at that time of the morning but apparently there were very few witnesses.

Police are still trying to get a good description of what the bus looked like so that they can track down the driver.

(Copyright 2005 WABC-TV)

barenakedbiker

my condolenses.

timmhaan

aren't there video cameras all over the place down there?

nycm'er

Thats a block from my house, someone must have seen it. But I didnt hear it, and I was home. Sorry to hear about another death and another "accident".

wheezl

Hmmm, I have found the tour bus operators to be among the most careful drivers on the road around these parts.

I feel sorry for the lady. Perhaps now that it's an old lady, someone might care.

Probably not.

Pheard

Man I hate street riding, Im just becoming paranoid about it. Its almost more safe to go ride steep downhills than to ride on your own streets.

brokenrobot

Remember a few years ago when that tour bus driver hit a bunch of people while going the wrong way on a one-way through a red light, drunk, and it turned out he hadn't had a license in years? And then they shut down the company altogether for a few months, after it turned out that several other drivers also had no licenses? Sounds like it might be time for another investigation...

John Wilke

My condolenses as well. Tragic.

John Wilke
Milwaukee

Mxu

Needless to say, it is things like these that scare the # out of my when cycling in Manhattan. I hope the driver gets caught and dealt with.

Stacy

Newsday's versoin of the same story
From https://www.nynewsday.com/news/local/...eadlines-crime

Grandmother killed by bus in hit-and-run

DAVID LEPESKA and WIL CRUZ
STAFF WRITERS

September 17, 2005

A Manhattan grandmother was struck and killed Friday by a charter bus on the Lower East Side, the apparent victim of a hit-and-run, police said.

Jen Shao, 65, was riding her bike off the curb of Gouverneur Lane yesterday about 9:40 a.m. when she tried to turn on Water Street. The bus, traveling north on Water -- a narrow, two-way street with no bike lane -- clipped her, police said.

"I saw the woman right after the accident," said Abdul Nannan, 43, who owns a fruit stand about 20 feet from the accident. "She was laying there quietly; there was no blood."

"It was almost like she was asleep," he added.

Shao was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

Police last night were trying to track the bus in question, but had little leads. No arrests have been made.

A sign on a drop box at Water Street urged witnesses to call 718-217-3529 with information about the accident.

Neighbors, meanwhile, said Shao moved into her apartment on Catherine Slip in the Alfred E. Smith housing projects about a year ago. She lived there with her adult daughter and two grandchildren, ages 13 and 2.

Yvette Miranda, 46, a captain of a tenant patrol in the housing complex, and other residents said Shao could be seen riding her bicycle every day.

"She always rode her bike in the morning," Miranda said. "But where she was going, I don't know.

"She was very quiet," she added. "But she always said hello to me."

nycm'er

It is interesting to me how misplaced descriptions can change the feel of the story: Gouverneur is one block below Wall, (Financial district, two neighborhoods from LES) and Water is not narrow, two lanes each way with parking lanes on either side.

I used to live up the street from her new apartment on Catherine, I can tell you that grandparents play an integral role in the day to day schedule of children in Chinatown. I hope the family can handle this.

filtersweep

Jebus! Since when is 65 considered elderly?

Zee

Well, 200 years ago, people were lucky to live past 65. Now, people are lucky to retire at 65. Shoot, at the rate the age is going up, retirement age will be 80 by the time I'M 65.

It's a very sad story. In many cultures (sadly, not much in American culture anymore) grandparents are a vital part of the family, as was already mentioned. They are looked up to and often depended upon to help steer the grandchildren to the right path in life.

brokenrobot

NYTimes
It seems to me that this is one instance where cyclists can actually DO something in the aftermath. The company running those buses has the ability to investigate, and their customers are exposed to cyclists at every stoplight... How much (friendly) shouting info at tourists do you think it will take to get the offending driver busted?

barenakedbiker

Interesting point. Would anyone care for a middle-aged white guy who works on Wall St. killed while biking? How about a slimy, traffic-light running bike messenger? Or maybe, a poor, urban, black, negro African-American?

wheezl

Everyone blows lights here However I see you agree with my point. Basically there is very little done to protect cyclists or pedestrians here. All you can hope for is that the media finds some angle that makes it worth reporting. Enough young white chicks have been killed that it will have to be something different if they are going to care.

I hope your reference to messengers was sarcastic cynicism (like I tend to employ) rather than how you actually feel about them.

barenakedbiker

How many blonde white chicks should die while riding their bikes before the media notices?

Sarcastic cynicism??? Duh. What's dat?

nycm'er

She is a minority, who lived in an underserved, under represented ethnic enclave. I am sorry to say that only bikers and her family are going to take notice.

The Police anti-bike crackdown is "justifying" the public's treating us like we don't belong, and have no rights. Sadly, I don't think at least 12 deaths this year means anything to anyone but us.

bikiola

don't worry out pretty littl heads, it was merely an "accident." jeez, the ****ing cops in this city are such scumbags when it comes to bicyclists. critical mass all the way -- i only wish it could be every single day, never let cars come into manhattan.