Nassau County police have ruled out speeding, equipment trouble and alcohol as causes of the bus crash that killed 6 year-old inside his Hempstead home on Tuesday night.
The crash occurred when a pedestrian jaywalked in front of a westbound NICE bus on Fulton Avenue, forcing the driver to swerve to the right. The bus jumped the curb, hit the pedestrian and then the house.
“There’s no reason to believe at all that the driver was intoxicated or speeding based on the witnesses we interviewed,” Inspector Kenneth Lack said Wednesday at a news conference. “Apparently [the pedestrian] did not react to the sound of the horn, but continued to walk from south to north.”
David Granados was in the front room of the house when the bus crashed through the walls. He was taken to a local hospital where he died.
The pedestrian, Granados’ 7 year-old brother who was in the same room and eight of the 11 passengers aboard the bus were taken to hospitals for their injuries. The pedestrian was admitted for rib, clavicle and skull fractures.
The bus was impounded and inspected for brake and safety checks. It was found to have no problems.
Detectives have not found any apparent criminality and are continuing the investigation.
The fatal crash occurred hours after a woman was struck and killed by another public bus in Suffolk County.
