Mother, Child Struck By Bus In Manhattan Beach


by on Oct 7th, 2010

Photo courtesy of a reader

A 4-year-old boy is dead and his 45-year-old mother is hospitalized after a B49 MTA bus hit them on Oriental Boulevard near Falmouth Street at around 4:30 p.m.

The child reportedly ran into the middle of the street, and the mother darted out to stop him. Unfortunately, the bus was moving too quickly and hit the child, while the mother was struck by the bus mirror.

NYPD, FDNY and a Kingsborough vehicle are on the scene, and police have closed the street off to traffic while they investigate.

A witness told a Sheepshead Bites reader that there was blood from the child, and possibly the mother, too. The child was declared dead at the scene and then transported to Coney Island Hospital. The mother was taken to Lutheran Medical Center in serious condition.

[As this was a breaking news story, there were several updates since the initial post to more accurately reflect the events as they occurred. Please remember that all of our stories are "living" and are reported as information comes in.]

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  • RomanM

    More proof of how much Manhattan Beach sucks!

    • BrooklynBus

      Ridiculous comment. What does this have to do with Manhattan Beach? It could have happened anywhere.

  • http://www.facebook.com/techiediva Rachel Phillips

    man vs bus, bus wins

    • Zero0n1

      more like boy who was my little brother vs. bus. no winner at all. brother dead…bus driver death pending.

  • http://www.nedberke.com Ned Berke

    The child may not have survived this. Please show some sensitivity in your comments.

    • Kon

      The child is dead according to ABC

  • Alex

    The sad part is that this seems to have happened over being in a rush. For everyone else reading this, it is a wake up call to slow down and not take foolish risks.

    Missing a bus, being late to work, being late to school, or anything else is just not worth the sadness these kinds of accidents bring on. That goes especially to people driving their cars.

    • BrooklynBus

      Although it turned out that that was not the cause of this accident. your advice should still be heeded by everyone.

      • Dawn

        Actually, according to the many witnesses there, it was not the bus driver’s fault. there are people running acroos to catch bus almost every night. I agree with Alex–whether wlaking, running or driving, New Yorkers need to slow down!

  • Anonymous

    Ned is unable to reach a computer at the moment, so he asked me to convey the following:

    The child was 4 years old and darted out into traffic, possibly chasing someone else. The Mother went after him and was struck by the buss’s mirror.

    The bus driver did slow, but it was too late.

    The child was sent to Coney Island hospital and the mother to Luthern. At this time, the child is in critical condition and the mother’s condition is unknown.

    • http://www.nedberke.com Ned Berke

      Thank you, BrooklynQ. I have now updated the story with more information from police sources.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1676771375 Maralyn Mendez

    this is so sad…i hope they’re ok…

    • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1676771375 Maralyn Mendez

      :(

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1676771375 Maralyn Mendez

    :(

    • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=195100291 Randy Contello

      poor kid died ;/

      few of my freinds were on the bus heading home from class. 1 of them is highly upset as what she saw

      • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=839675042 Holly Renee Reinhardt

        Yeah, I was thinking “shit, I would have been heading home right about then if I went to class yesterday”. That bus must’ve been full of students.

  • Eric7d6
  • Violval11

    Absolutely devastating. :(:(

  • Wotypka

    I blame Goldstein ._.

  • Guest

    Blame the zebra lines for taking away 2 lanes of traffic and the wonderful flower pots that block the view

    • BrooklynBus

      We all know that the Manhattan Beach Community Group wants the flower pots and zebra stripes removed. They will take any accident that occurs on Oriental Boulevard and blame it on the flower pots. There is absolutely no reason to believe that either had anything to do with this unfortunate accident. What ever happened to making decisions based on data? I have no respect for people who distort the truth just to justify their pre-determined conclusions.

      • http://www.nedberke.com Ned Berke

        Both the MBCG and MBNA want the flower pots and zebra striped removed. I don’t know who Guest is, or what group he may or may not be from – or if he’s from either of them.

      • http://www.njluxurymotors.com Arthur Borko

        Would you trust my word on this? I’ve had too many close calls to count because of those flower pots. I’m not even going to bother counting how many times I’ve had to swirve out of the legal traffic lane because someone needs to turn and doesn’t signal with advance notice, or how many times I’ve had to stop short, or almost swerved into someone who was illegally driving on the stripes.

        What happened to that boy and his mother is a horrible tragedy and the Pots and Stripes may not have contributed THIS TIME. But they do contribute and gotta go!

        • BrooklynBus

          The pots and the stripes are two different issues and each has to be evaluated on its own merits. I fully agree that the zebra stripes have to go for the reasons you stated. Two lanes are needed on this street for about three or four hours a day when the traffic is heavy. Making one lane a left turn lane as the Manhattan Beach Neighborhood Association suggests will only make things more dangerous, because cars will then bypass slower cars using the left turn lane instead of the zebra stripes. Putting up a physical barrier to stop cars will impede emergency vehicles. Speed bumps are no good for the buses and snow plows. The traffic pattern needs to be returned to the state it was in before the zebra stripes.

          As far as the pots are concerned, most people do not see them as a hazard, including my neighbor who drives a Corvette. The people speaking out against them are very vocal. Initially, before construction of the malls were completed, and the pots were temporarily placed near the intersections, the MBCG immediately demanded their removal. They did cause a problem at that time. They were since moved to about 50 feet from the intersections. Also, two months ago, two of the pots closest to the intersections which still may have caused a slight problem were quietly moved without any publicity off their pink squares to be further yet from the intersections. Don’t know if they were moved legally by Parks or DOT or illegally by someone else. As far as I can determine, that removed any further danger that these pots might have posed. The pots are not the cause of someone failing to signal. People need to exercise caution when making turns and not speed. It is that simple.

  • Eric7d6

    Honestly, People you are talking about pots and zebra when a young life is lost??? A Child is dead!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And those that oppose removing the pots or the zebras ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? If that may potentially save a life who cares about the pot or a zebra???

  • Eric7d6

    My husband was there he saw the whole thing happen. It is absolutely devastating!!!!!!! He says at the scene the child was alive at one point making a faint scream. The mother was absolutely distraught and in shock. But what should be mentioned is a young man that was driving in the opposite lane who stopped the car and ran over to help. He ran to help the child and give him the CPR! Things like that should definitely be mentioned in stories like that!

  • RocknRoll

    I don’t blame the flower pots nor the lines on the street. It’s an unfortunate accident.

  • Brightonresident

    This a very sad story, but it ot the fault of flower pots, zebra stripes or the bus driver. In fact this poor bus driver has to live with this memory for the rest of his life.
    It is the fault of a very young child and his mother who allowed him to run into the street.

    • Brightonresident

      *correction* – “but it is NOT the fault of…”

    • BrooklynBus

      You can’t blame the mother either. Perhaps, she was holding him and he suddenly broke away. Children do that. The child was 7 years old and should have known better (unless he had other problems, we don’t know). When I went was in school many years ago, traffic safety was always stressed in the schools and in the home. Is that still done these days? It was just very unfortunate and tragic. Can’t even begin to imagine how the mother feels. Hope her injuries are not that serious and that she recovers quickly.

  • Tom

    Over the summer, I visit that park with my kid.
    It is very upsetting to hear this.

  • Ron B.

    This is ABSOLUTLY devastating!!!!!! My wife knows the people involved. The woman is a neighborhood resident and volunteers her time @ PS 195. The young boy was in Pre-K @ 195. We are numb over this. WE NEED TO PULL OUT ALL STOPS, meet with elected officials and find solutions to reduce the possibility of this happening again.
    Maybe the Bus was traveling the speed limit and maybe the bus was going faster. I think everyone can agree that the buses usually drive over the speed limit.
    With regards to the zebra lines & Planters.
    The DOT’s engineers have determined that necking down is the best way to reduce speed. This is why this is the approach that has been used for the past few years. If you have one lane instead of two you will have more cars in one lane and therefore they will move slower. In theory this is correct. Unfortunately, people ignore the zebra lines and drive on them. ALso it is a hazzard when you are trying to make a turn off of Oriental Blvd. The planters are much larger than what was originally proposed. They do limit visibility and are an issue for everyone. Many drivers eventually know they are there and adjust their driving habbits accordingly. However, new drivers come down to the community every day and these drivers may not be as familiar with the planters and visibility issues especially during inclimate weather conditions.
    I personally would like to see the planters eliminated from Oriental Blvd and I would like restoration of the two lanes of traffic in either direction on Oriental Blvd.
    I do not think this is possible after attending several meetings on the topic for several years. We should then work towards trying to improve the situation the best way we can. Let us all pray for this little boy and his family.

  • Eitan

    This is an incomprehensible tragedy. I know if that were me I would wish the bus had killed me too.

  • amandaaaa

    He is not 7 he is 4 and he is in my little sisters kindergarten class so I kno

  • levp

    My understanding is that the new bus model (the one involved in this accident) has operator’s visibility (and probably braking) that are superior to the older models (@BrooklynBus?).

    If an investigation will show that there was no operator error (speed, yield on pedestrian crossings, etc.), then we can look into other contributing factors.
    For example, did the child run from the median, or from the sidewalk? If it was the latter, than flower pots are not a significant factor here.

    Again, there are still a lot of “if”s. But if it will be found that the child appeared from a sidewalk directly in front of the bus – sometimes, there is just nothing more we can do. One can’t advocate using arm and leg restraints on children – or elimination of buses…

    • Guest

      Hokding your childs hand firmly at that age would be appropriate. Paying attention to your child would be appropriate. his unfortunate and horrible accident CANNOT be blamed on any other factor!

      • Anonymous

        Sad but true.
        Too many times I see the “children bosses” not want parental guidance and the parents give them right.
        Letting children ride bikes or scooters across the street is dangerous also. I used to have to get off mine at the corner and my parents would hold my hand and walk my bike.
        Parents pushing the stroller out into traffic is common place.
        It sounds cruel but I have said to one mother who pushed a stroller out from between two parked cars, “you really don’t want that kid do you”.
        The woman threw more curses my way than you can imagine.
        I am sorry for the child and the mother that unfortunate circumstances ended in such a tragedy.

    • BrooklynBus

      I wouldn’t know. You would have to ask a bus driver. You can pose the question at buschat.com Many bus drivers frequent that site.

      • BrooklynBus

        The correct link would be http://www.subchat.com/buschat

        • levp

          Found it, thanks! Found your thread about the subject, too…

          I guess we have to wait for investigation to finish, or at least for some more specifics to emerge, such as which side did the victims enter the street from.

          Picture this: the bus is about to pull out of the stop (cars speeding by on the left side). Operator is trying to find an opening in traffic to pull into the street. Meanwhile, a family observes a seemingly stopped bus and decides to cross in front of it. No improved visibility or braking system will help here…

          When I was in training to be a technician many years ago, our safety instructor used to say: “Safety rules are written in blood” (all walls in his classroom were filled with photographs of accidents). I can see him say here: “Pedestrians, use the freaking crosswalk!”

          • BrooklynBus

            At the MTA, anyone who may have an occasion to walk on the tracks as part of their duties must attend a class where they get to see how someone looks after he touches the third rail. Just picture a lobster. Need I say more. No one forgets that picture.

  • BrooklynBus

    I just heard from a witness who saw the accident that in her opinion the bus driver was speeding and gave two toots on the horn for the people to get out of the way.

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  • Y?

    Yesterday I witnessed how the car without slowing down, definitely speeding, made a turn from the oriental blvrd to ocean avenue. Then, probably going 45-50mph or more rushed towards Shore blvrd, did not stop on the stop sign on Hampton avenue. Finally stopped on the red light on Shore blvrd.
    This happened at 3:10pm, when the kids were heading home from school…..:(
    Situations like this happen every day.. I’ve seen many times buses and cars heading from KCC speeding. The light on the crossection of Oriental blvrd and Ocean ave is pointless- barely somebody stops on it- in order to cross it u have to wait till u have a signal to go and even after that look at all directions, because the drivers still tend to ignore it…
    Although my heart hurts for the kid and his mom, this HAS to be a red flag for the residents and visitors of Manhattan beach.. It could happen with ANY family, but it’s a tragedy for all.. Blaming one person or the other will not get little boy back, nor will it save the lives of others, God forbid…

  • Ron B

    Let us all remember to pay attention to the traffic when crossing ANY street. Today with inexpensive cellular phone service, many people are either speaking or texting instead of paying attention.

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  • SVETLANA

    THIS IS SO SAD.

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