Officials reported that a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority employee was killed on February 8th, 2020 when an MBTA bus rolled backwards into a parked car. There have not been any details released to the public, but it appeared that the parked bus rolled over the victim as she was getting into her car.
The 45 year old employee has been identified as Sanyi K. Harris who was known as Keni by her loved ones. She was a dedicated mother of 21 year old twins who had celebrated their birthday a week before the bus accident at Quincy Center Station busway.
Keni Was Known To Push Through Limitations
Keni’s sister Chala Harris wrote in a GoFundMe post that she was a hardworking mother who had finally been able to pay for a house on a quiet Brockton street that her kids could call home. She was known for pushing through the challenges and limitations that life had for her.
She was a compassionate and driven woman who always came to work motivated to do better than yesterday. She did everything to ensure that her children and her loved ones always had what they needed and never had to go without.
The GoFundMe post was created in hopes that the twins could raise enough to keep the home.
Little Information about the Crash
First responders were called to the busway around 12:45 pm. Quincy firefighters reported that the victim had already been pulled from under the bus. She was fatally wounded and was later pronounced dead.
The accident and cause of death are being investigated by State Police troopers assigned to the office of Norfolk District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey. A spokesperson for the DA’s office stated that this was standard procedure for all unattended deaths for the county.
Buses Come Under the Purview of Common Carrier Law
Major bus service providers in Massachusetts, include the BAT, WRTA, CCRTA, MBTA, and MBTA. The MBTA is the largest bus service serving Boston, Waltham, Cambridge, Quincy, Watertown, Newton and numerous other communities in Massachusetts.
Buses, like trains and subways, fall under the common carrier law. They are held to a high standard of liability. Victims and their families may need to consult experienced neighborhood bus accident attorneys to identify all the responsible and liable parties for an accident.
There can be more than one responsible party, especially with local buses. Bus companies, design and engineering firms, and maintenance companies can be held liable if the accident occurred due to a mechanical or system fault. It’s vital to speak with a neighborhood bus accident lawyer to understand the scope of the lawsuit.