Another pedestrian was hit by a bus this morning in Des Moines. It’s the seventh time in two years that a Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority (DART) bus has struck a pedestrian. The latest incident happened just after 6:30 this morning at the corner of 9th and High Streets in downtown Des Moines.
Police Sergeant Lori Lavorato says the driver of the bus, 56-year-old Leonidas Flores, told officers he did not see the pedestrian as he was turning left onto 9th Street. Two witnesses also told police that the pedestrian had the right-of-way.
Flores has been charged with failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. The woman that was injured is identified as 61-year-old Melissa Dunagan. She was taken to Iowa Methodist Medical Center, where officials said she would be treated and released.
DART officials have put in place a variety of safety measures to curb such accidents. Lavorato says pedestrians also need to be cautious and look both ways before crossing streets.
"Just understand that a lot of people who are driving may not see you," Lavorato said. "You may have the right-of-way, but I would use extra caution…as a pedestrian, it’s always in your best interest to assume that the car is not stopping for you."