Bus Depot Security Guard Killed By Drunk Driver
Writing entries about death involving public transportation is never easy & that is once again the case. Earlier this morning, a security guard at the College Point Bus Depot was killed while trying to cross the Whitestone Expressway. Pete Donohue & Jonathan Lemire of the New York Daily News have more:
A security guard working at a Queens bus depot who tried to run across a busy highway was struck and killed by a drunk driver, police said Thursday.
The guard tried to dash across the Whitestone Expwy. in College Point, but was struck by a 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, police said.
He was killed instantly.
The driver of the Cobalt, 65-year-old Harley Greenfield, stayed at the scene and refused to take a breathalyzer exam, police sources said.
Greenfield, who lives in Manhattan, was charged with driving while impaired, the sources said.
Further charges could be added.
The guard – whose name is being withheld pending the notification of his family – worked for Summit Security and was contracted to guard the MTA’s College Point depot, transit sources said.
Investigators believe he was walking towards a nearby Burger King when he was struck at 10:45 p.m. Wednesday.
An MTA bus driver witnessed the accident, pulled over along the highway and called for help. Paramedics could not revive the guard.
The bus driver, who said he was traumatized by the scene, then went off-duty, according to transit sources.
Let me first offer my condolences to the friends, family, & co-workers of this yet to be named gentlemen.
As far as the story goes, a slight correction is in order as the article had to have meant he was trying to go to McDonalds. There is no Burger King in that vicinity. I do not condone the actions of Mr. Greenfield if he truly was driving under the influence. If he was, he had zero business being behind the wheel.
However even with saying that, I can’t help but feel this death was caused by the guard himself. Who in their right mind tries to cross a major highway much less one as busy as the Whitestone Expressway?
This highway is always full with cars regardless of the time. No one could honestly expect to have much success trying to cross this highway. Even if Mr. Greenfield was not drunk or even on the road, who is to say a sober driver would not have hit him?
The immediate reaction is to point the finger of blame towards the alleged drunk driver. However I feel the victim should receive just as much, if not more as his actions ultimately caused his demise.
xoxo Transit Blogger
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Comments
Hello Johnny,
Exactly! I am in no way excusing the actions of the allegedly drunk driver. However the main focus should be on the real cause of death being the guard’s decision making. If it did not happen that day, it would happened another day if he repeated the same walk.
I agree. This is going to turn into a Rich vs Poor media spin, when more attention should be brought to the fact that trying to cross a highway, not at a crosswalk was really what caused his death.