MILWAUKEE — Late last night, tragedy struck at the corner of 47th and Villard when an MCTS bus collided with two pedestrians, leaving one dead and another injured.
The aftermath is evident, with debris scattered across the road and a damaged tree marking the site of the incident.
According to police, the crash occurred shortly after 10:30 PM. A 79-year-old man was fatally struck, while a 37-year-old man was also hit and rushed to the hospital, where he is expected to survive.
The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office identified the man killed as Robert Clemons Thursday evening.
Surveillance footage from the area shows police squads illuminating the neighborhood as they responded to the scene.
Neighbor Cortez Willford expressed his sorrow over the incident. “That was very sad to learn someone passed away last night,” he said, adding, “On Christmas, of course, it’s kinda sad.”
Neighbors reported that the elderly victim was dragged nearly half a block before the bus finally came to a stop.
Broadcastify audio captured the urgency of the scene: “We have one patient 10-99, trapped under the axel of the bus.”
Tragically, Clemons did not survive, and officers later took the 51-year-old bus driver into custody.
Watch: Neighbors react to MCTS bus crash that left one dead, another injured
David Bonds, another neighbor, shared his concerns about safety in the area. “It’s really bad, from Sherman to 51st it’s bad,” said Bonds, who relies on the bus for his daily commute after deciding it was too dangerous to drive.
Reflecting on the accident, he said, “I feel bad. Something went wrong, either the bus driver or it was foggy last night.”
In a statement, MCTS confirmed that the bus operator was taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital for medical evaluation and that the agency is cooperating with law enforcement to determine the cause of the crash. “We (MCTS) extend our deepest sympathies to the people impacted and their families by this tragic accident,” the statement read.
Lighting conditions may have played a role in the tragedy. Neighbors noted that streetlights in the area are often nonfunctional.
Video provided to TMJ4 News appears to show the streetlights were off at the time of the incident.
“It was pretty dark over here for sure,” said Willford. “They probably need to fix the lights in the area because most times the lights don’t work.”
The lack of proper lighting has left many questioning whether the bus driver could even see the two victims. “Especially in a neighborhood like this, when it’s one lane, you wanna have the lights working. That’s the least you can do to help out civilians,” Willford emphasized.
The Department of Public Works (DPW) stated that there were no immediate reports of streetlight outages but confirmed they are investigating the issue.
“I didn’t see them on last night at all,” Willford reiterated, summing up the concerns of the neighborhood.
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