An accident involving a 52-year old passenger and an MBTA bus driving its route in Revere has left one woman dead and the bus driver distraught.
The accident apparently took place on Tuesday evening. Gayle Johnson, a 52-year old woman, was apparently struck and killed by the bus she had been riding on. Her body was dragged almost half a mile from where it was struck. The driver apparently had been unaware that the accident had taken place.
The incident took place in front of a fire station located on Broadway, and was discovered when the woman’s body was found lying in the road and an observer called 911 for help.
Upon arriving on the scene, Revere police determined that an MBTA bus had been driving in the area around the time of the accident. Further investigation yielded evidence that the woman had been killed after having been struck by the bus and then dragged. She was apparently the last passenger that had been on board, and the vehicle was put out of service after she disembarked. The 56-year old bus driver reportedly drove away from the scene.
The driver was tested for drug and alcohol in his system despite the fact that there was no sign that he was impaired. The testing is standard policy for MBTA, though reports indicated that the driver had submitted to the test freely. He has hired an attorney and is reportedly distraught about the accident. There are reportedly no signs that he had been aware of the accident or that the woman’s body had been dragged.
The accident is being investigated by the district attorney’s office as well as by an accident reconstruction team. It may take several weeks before the results of the investigation are complete and a report is prepared. At this time no charges have been filed.
The victim, Gayle Johnson, was said to have been a lifelong resident of Revere and was returning home from work on the same route that she took every night at the same time. She had worked in the mailroom of a bank.