Woman, 21, recovering after being hit by PRT bus in Pittsburgh crosswalk, officials say

PITTSBURGH — Brand new surveillance video shows the moments right before a young woman was hit by a PRT bus while walking in a crosswalk in North Oakland.

The crash happened around 7 p.m. on Neville Street and Fifth Avenue, near Carnegie Mellon University’s campus.

We’ve learned the victim is a 21-year-old CMU student who is expected to be released from the hospital on Tuesday.

Click here for photos from the scene

The driver who hit the young woman, trapping her under the bus, is a 25-year veteran of Pittsburgh Regional Transit. She is off the job while a full investigation is done. That will include standard drug and alcohol testing and a review of cameras inside the bus.

“We saw the bus and we saw someone under the bus and their hands were moving,” Abdul Brooks tells Channel 11.

That witness said good Samaritans jumped out of their cars as first responders raced to the scene.

“They got a bunch of wood planks, at least 30 and levied the top of the bus up just enough,” Brook added. “They grabbed her out and put her right on the stretcher.”

In the video, you can see the PRT bus as it turns left from Neville Street onto Fifth Avenue in North Oakland. At the same time, the woman is crossing Fifth Avenue in the crosswalk when she was hit by the bus. The video then shows people pulling over and jumping out of their cars to help while first responders race to the scene.

“I saw about 4-5 cop cars, maybe more and an ambulance,” Grace Burdee tells Channel 11. “I’m not surprised. I’ve had close calls on this intersection right here, making the crosswalk, and you think you have the right of way and the bus makes a big turn and maybe doesn’t see you.”

Other students say they’ve had very different experiences in this area.

“I’m shocked,” Alden Grover tells us. “I’ve never had any issues with PRT and I’ve never had any issues with this crosswalk.”

Neighbors tell us this is a busy intersection. They’d like to see the walk signs light up only when traffic is stopped at red lights, not when cars and buses are driving through.

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