A SEPTA bus driver was convicted of homicide by vehicle after she struck and killed a man who was crossing the street in Glenside last April.
A Montgomery County judge determined Katrina Sanders, 48, was "grossly negligent" in the April 2, 2016 crash that killed Edward Miller, Sr., 93, of Glenside.
Miller was crossing the street at the crosswalk on Limekiln Pike and Glenside Avenue around 1 p.m. when he was struck by a SEPTA bus driven by Sanders. Miller was pinned underneath the bus and pronounced dead at the scene. Sanders immediately stopped and cooperated with police during the investigation.
Surveillance video revealed Sanders was staring at papers moments before hitting Miller.
Sanders stopped at a red light at the intersection of Limekiln Pike and Glenside Avenue and looked through papers that were in her hand. At the same time, Miller was on the sidewalk waiting to cross. After the light turned green for both of them, Sanders placed one hand on the steering wheel to turn while holding the papers with the other. Miller, meanwhile, walked across the intersection. Officials say Miller waved his arms in the air as the bus approached him and then tried to get out of the way but was then struck by the vehicle.
Investigators determined Sanders was “reckless,” “careless,” and “negligent” and that she was also responsible for Miller’s death because she was reading the papers while at the intersection instead of paying attention to the road. Prosecutors also said Sanders ignored SEPTA’s safety rules warning drivers to “use extreme caution before executing a left-hand turn,” due to the left side mirror blocking their view of pedestrians.
