MTA Bus Driver Charged After Pedestrian Killed on Staten Island
Police later charged MTA bus driver Darrell Sweet with leaving after hitting Patrick Varriale, 69, in a May 13, 2022 crash recorded on Platinum Avenue where Varriale died.
What We Know
Patrick Varriale, 69, died before dawn on May 13, 2022, in a crash recorded on Platinum Avenue in Staten Island. The city crash record says a pedestrian was killed at 4:39 a.m. and lists a bus whose driver was making a left turn. The Daily News, citing police, reported that MTA bus driver Darrell Sweet turned left from Forest Hill Road onto Platinum Avenue in a SIM10 bus and hit Varriale, then drove away. Police charged Sweet after a three-week investigation; the article reported that court papers said he knew what had happened and quoted him telling police, "I should have stopped." The location evidence differs: the city record describes the pedestrian as crossing with the signal but not at an intersection, while the article says Varriale was crossing the intersection.
Police said the driver left after a turn
The city crash record places the fatal crash on Platinum Avenue at 4:39 a.m. on May 13, 2022, and records one pedestrian death involving a bus. The vehicle record lists a 2015 Prevost bus whose driver was traveling north and making a left turn before the crash.
The Daily News, citing police, reported that Darrell Sweet was driving an MTA SIM10 bus east on Forest Hill Road, turned left onto Platinum Avenue, hit Patrick Varriale, and drove away. The article reported the crash time as about 4:35 a.m.
Platinum Avenue and Forest Hill Road
The official record identifies Platinum Avenue in Staten Island as the crash location. The Daily News, citing police, placed the turn at Forest Hill Road and Platinum Avenue, and reported that Varriale lived about a quarter mile away.
The city record describes the pedestrian as crossing with the signal but not at an intersection. The Daily News account, citing police, says Varriale was crossing the intersection.
Patrick Varriale died near his home
Patrick Varriale was 69. The Daily News reported that he died at the scene and that he had worked for the American Federation of Musicians in Midtown. The article said he was survived by his wife, son, and two grandchildren.
A charge followed a three-week investigation
Police arrested Sweet after a three-week investigation and charged him with leaving after the fatal incident, the Daily News reported. The article said court papers stated he knew what had happened and quoted him telling police, "I should have stopped."
The Daily News reported that Sweet was released without bail after arraignment in Staten Island Criminal Court. MTA officials said the 15-year veteran driver was removed from duty without pay pending a predisciplinary suspension, and MTA bus chief Frank Annicaro said, "What happened was tragic."