Pedestrian killed by public transit bus in Covington

COVINGTON, Ky. (WXIX) - A man is dead following a crash in Covington involving a public transit bus, according to police.

The victim was hit by a Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky (TANK) bus around 12:30 p.m. at the intersection of 4th Street and Scott Street, Covington police said.

Police said the bus and victim reached the intersection at the same time. Police think the man was jogging from the area of the Suspension Bridge.

Police say they were able to identify the victim, but will not be releasing his name at this time.

The bus driver did not stop, unaware they even hit someone, according to police.

Police did not have a description of the vehicle that hit the man for several hours. Covington officers said they began talking with witnesses and looked at videos from nearby locations to find a TANK bus was involved.

About three hours after the crash, police said they found the TANK bus and the driver, who is cooperating.

The 4th Street and Scott Street intersection has been reopened.

TANK released the following statement to FOX19 NOW:

“On Thursday, March 10 a TANK bus was involved in an accident in Covington at the intersection of 4th & Scott Streets. The accident resulted in a pedestrian fatality. The investigation is ongoing, being led by the Covington Police Department. Because of the nature of the investigation, TANK will not be making any specific comments about the incident. All questions related to the accident are best referred to the Covington PD.

The TANK Operator involved is cooperating fully with the police and is on paid administrative leave as the investigation continues. The bus involved had a fully operational camera system and those videos have been turned over to the police to assist with their investigation.”

Jake Ritchea works at a shop near the corner. He saw the pedestrian moments after the crash and says the victim’s shoes had flown off his feet. He says he knew immediately that the runner wouldn’t survive.

“It was definitely the worst,” he said.

Seth Robinson lives in an apartment overlooking the intersection. He saw the scene after police covered the victim’s body. He isn’t surprised a TANK bus was involved.

“I’ve seen that scenario played out because we’re walking through here and if we’re taking our dog out we’ll see that bus every 30 minutes, you know, make that right turn,” he said.

For Robinson, the victim being a runner hits close to home.

“My girlfriend’s out here running all the time, and a lot of our friends are running through Covington,” he said. “It’s just scary to think about.”

The victim did not have an ID on him when he was killed, which delayed the process of identifying him.

Mike Trimpe at Covington-based company Road iD is working to make it easier to identify runners when needed.

The company designs a variety of wearable IDs, from bracelets to shoe tags. The products contain important information first responders might need.

“All your important emergency contacts, who we need to call, lets them know how to treat your medical history and allergies, anything a first responder would need to know in the event of an accident,” Trimpe explained.

The company even takes it a step further with the IDs.

“We have an app you can download to iOS or Android, and it lets your loved ones know where you are on your workout, so they can follow you along and it sends you a link,” Trimpe said. “So, if something happens and you stop moving, [the app] sends an sos alert, so they can find you immediately.”

Trimpe says over the years, technology has helped a number of families across the country.

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