The Humboldt County Coroner’s Office has identified the pedestrian run over by a bus Friday morning as 35-year-old Thomas William Rice, of Eureka.
Eureka Police Capt. Steve Watson said the department’s preliminary investigation indicates that Rice was causing a disturbance at a bus stop near the intersection of Fifth and O streets at about 11:30 a.m. on Friday. Rice was banging on the doors of the Redwood Transit Authority bus, Watson said, when the bus began to pull away from the curb, causing Rice to step back.
“Then, as the bus was pulling out and starting to merge into traffic, he leaned in to pound on the side of the bus,” Watson said. “He appeared to lose his balance and fell under the rear wheel of the bus as it was pulling into traffic.”
Rice was transported to St. Joseph Hospital for treatment, but was “eventually declared deceased as a result of those injuries,” according to a press release from the coroner’s office.
Watson said Rice’s potential “level of intoxication” at the time of the accident remains under investigation. He asked anyone with information about the accident to call EPD traffic officer Tim Jones at 441-4109.
This article appears in The Business Issue.
Classic.
” Rice was banging on the doors of the Redwood Transit Authority bus, Watson said, when the bus began to pull away from the curb, causing Rice to step back.
“Then, as the bus was pulling out and starting to merge into traffic, he leaned in to pound on the side of the bus,” Watson said. “He appeared to lose his balance and fell under the rear wheel of the bus as it was pulling into traffic.” “
WHY is it okay for a bus driver to pull into traffic when someone is next to the bus, so close they can bang on it? Use a huge motor vehicle to force someone to “step back”?! Someone’s behavior might be disruptive, but doesn’t warrant completely irresponsible, dangerous, FATAL moves by the bus driver. He killed Thomas instead of waiting to make sure Thomas was not so close. So sad and horrible.
I knew Thomas, and he was a sweet young man who had a bad drinking addiction. I am sad that Thomas is gone, young, kind, and trying to deal with his problems and do better by himself and his family.
It is disgusting that no one has reported who the bus driver was or even questioned his actions. It is disappointing how callous, not only that bus driver was (which cost someone their life), but how callous the so-called “community” is here that seems to have blindly accepted the unacceptable.
I’m sure the bus riders would have preferred to wait until Thomas was a way from the bus, or even riding on the bus with them, than to have witnessed him being run over and killed.
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