A passenger jumped into action to save a runaway Metro Transit bus after it started rolling down the road in downtown Seattle Monday.
"Usually it's passengers that cause the ruckus,” said Amanda Clevenger.
Monday, it was the driver who caused a scene. Thankfully, Clevenger was there to save the day.
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"A lot of people could've gotten hurt really, really badly,” Clevenger said.
She said the bus driver stopped on the I-5 overpass on Pine Street between the Bellevue Avenue and Ninth Avenue stops. The driver got out to adjust the overhead wires but didn't engage the emergency brake, so the bus started rolling down the hill.
"I got up and put my foot on the brake and he was chasing the bus,” she said. "Instinct kind of kicked in. I was the only one sitting that close to the front and there were some cars at a stop sign in front of us and I just knew if we didn't stop the bus, we were going to hit them and it could be a catastrophe."
Clevenger filed a complaint with Metro Transit. She hopes drivers get more training to keep riders safe.
"The bus driver is supposed to keep the whole bus safe, and we kind of put our lives into their hands when we get on the bus and it's all usually out of our control,” she said.
In a statement, Metro Transit told KIRO 7 that:
"Metro is investigating an Aug. 20 incident in which one of our electric trolley buses rolled downhill after the driver had stepped out of the bus. This reportedly happened on Route 49 around 9:30 a.m. as the bus was traveling down Pine Street near Ninth Avenue.
Our preliminary investigation shows the driver stepped out to re-attach the bus's trolley poles after they disconnected from the overhead wire, which caused the bus to lose power. Once the poles were back in place, the bus began to roll downhill. As the driver ran after the bus, a customer was able to hit the brake and stop the bus from continuing forward.
Metro's top priority is the safety of our customers and employees. Drivers are expected to set the emergency brake anytime they leave the coach to reset trolley poles, and we expect drivers to follow safety policies and procedures at all times. We are looking into whether procedures were correctly followed in this incident and whether further personnel action is warranted.
We are extremely grateful that no one was hurt and are especially thankful to the customer whose quick actions brought the bus to a stop. Metro staff have been in touch with her to check on her well-being and to express our gratitude. We offer our deepest apologies to her and any other customers who were on board.
This incident provides an opportunity for us to remind drivers to be vigilant and follow proper safety protocols."
Cox Media Group
