Joce Sterman, ABC 7 Investigator (00:00):
“First at six—bus drivers still on the road despite multiple crashes while behind the wheel. ABC Seven’s I-Team uncovered one driver’s record after she hit a woman with a bus. Seven on Your Side Investigator Josie Sterman joins us. What she’s found out? Josie.”
Joce Sterman (00:15):
“Well, Maureen, on the day that the Dash driver had an accident in training, we got her report card, and she still got mostly perfect marks from trainers at Alexandria Transit. This accident, though, didn’t even count because it was in training. Still, the driver had three more preventable accidents in the year after that but was still allowed to drive. And the I-Team discovered that’s standard operating procedure.”
(Exclusive video from the bus crash plays, showing the driver appearing frantic after hitting a woman in a crosswalk and pinning her under the bus for more than a minute.)
Joseph Cammarata (00:50):
“It’s stunning. It’s horrifying. It’s breathtaking.”
Joce Sterman (00:52):
“And DC attorney Joseph Cammarata says Alexandria Transit, the company operating that bus, was negligent. He represents Sherry Galloway, the woman hit by the bus back in 2014 and recently awarded a $4.5 million judgment.”
Joseph Cammarata (01:07):
“The jury recognized that this was an unfit, unsafe driver that should not have been put behind the wheel.”
Joce Sterman (01:14):
“The I-Team has learned that Darcy, the driver, had a series of accidents leading up to the crash where Galloway was severely hurt—an incident caught on video from inside the bus.”
(Audio from the bus camera: “Oh my God.”)
Joce Sterman (01:20):
“Discipline records we obtained show four other preventable accidents in a year and a half, including one in training.”
Joseph Cammarata (01:32):
“One after the other, they just excused her behavior and put her back behind the wheel. And now we have a more significant tragedy.”
Joce Sterman (01:40):
“But the I-Team found it is consistent with Alexandria Transit policy. Trainers expressed concern about Darcy’s driving, saying in records they were scared for themselves. She was even given written warnings and a suspension. But policy manuals we obtained show bus drivers can log as many as four preventable wrecks before being dismissed.”
Interviewer (02:01):
“Is there a need for changes?”
Joseph Cammarata (02:03):
“Well, there’s a need for more vigilance. There’s a public trust that’s involved, and in this case, the public trust was broken.”
Joce Sterman (02:09):
“Alexandria Transit told us it strives to provide safe and reliable bus service and that it will continue to use the industry’s best safety practices so the possibility of accidents with pedestrians or other vehicles is minimized. They did not, however, answer our specific questions about how many drivers have been put back behind the wheel following accidents. But we are going to follow up. We’re also going to be watching an appeal that is scheduled for later on this month. Josie Sterman, ABC 7 News.”
