DANIELL SALE WITH ROBERT GITTINGS

DANIELL SALE WITH ROBERT GITTINGS

RYAN&JAMIE HAMMEL

RYAN&JAMIE HAMMEL

JENEE HAMMEL

JENEE HAMMEL

Monday, April 26, 2010

OPB

Police say it could be later this week before investigators figure out why a TriMet bus struck several pedestrians and killed two in Portland Saturday night. Kristian Foden-Vencil reports.


TriMet spokeswoman, Mary Fetsch, says the bus was driven Sandi Day, who has worked for the agency since 2007.

Day was working what's called "the extra board" -- that is filling in for someone on vacation or sick. Fetsch says Day had driven the route before.

The bus turned left onto NW Broadway, struck five people and pinned three underneath.

Mary Fetsch: "You know this is absolutely unheard of. We have never had a situation like this where a bus was involved in an accident of this type. I mean we've never had two fatalities where a bus struck two people two people have died. Others are injured. I mean this is absolutely unheard of."

Jenee Hammel and Danielle Sale died. Robert Gittings is in hospital in serious condition. Ryan Hammel and his wife Jamie Hammel suffered minor injuries.

Police say they're still investigating the incident, but both the bus and the pedestrians apparently had a green light.

Investigators are checking the bus carefully to see if it malfunctioned.

TriMet is self-insured -- pay-outs come from the agency's general fund.

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