MTA Bus Driver Fatally Hit Roberta Lehrman Near Union Square
A driver in a southbound bus fatally hit a 70-year-old pedestrian at Broadway and East 13th Street on June 7, 2023; the Daily News identified her as retired teacher Roberta Lehrman and reported that the MTA driver remained at the scene.
What We Know
On June 7, 2023, at about 1:01 p.m., a driver in a southbound bus fatally hit a 70-year-old pedestrian at Broadway and East 13th Street in Manhattan. The Daily News identified the victim as Roberta Lehrman, a retired high school teacher from Brooklyn, and reported that police said the MTA express bus was headed toward Staten Island. Officials told the paper the bus had been stopped at a red light and moved forward after the light changed; witnesses said Lehrman was dragged and caught between the rear wheels. Police said the driver remained at the scene, and the Daily News reported that no criminal charges were filed.
Police described a fatal bus crash after the light changed
The official crash record says the fatal crash happened at 1:01 p.m. on June 7, 2023, at Broadway and East 13th Street in Manhattan, and that one pedestrian was killed.
The Daily News reported that police said the driver was operating a Staten Island-bound MTA express bus. Officials told the paper the bus had been stopped at a red light and moved forward after the light turned green, striking Lehrman.
The crash was reported at Broadway and East 13th Street
The official record places the crash at Broadway and East 13th Street in Manhattan. The Daily News described the location as near Union Square.
The official person record describes the pedestrian as being at the intersection, while the Daily News reported, citing a witness, that Lehrman was crossing mid-block.
Roberta Lehrman was remembered as a teacher and traveler
The Daily News identified the pedestrian killed as Roberta Lehrman, 70, a Brooklyn woman and retired high school teacher who had worked at John Jay High School and Brooklyn Technical High School.
Friends and neighbors told the paper that Lehrman loved travel and gardening. Mary Demorest, who met Lehrman on a trip to Costa Rica, described her as fun, spirited, energetic and independent.
Records and press accounts focused on crossing and signal factors
The official person record lists pedestrian error or confusion and disregarded traffic control as contributing factors for Lehrman.
The Daily News reported that police said the MTA driver remained at the scene. In a follow-up story, the paper reported that no criminal charges were filed.