Metro CEO Calls Bus Killing Pedestrian Downtown A “Preventable Accident”

On Tuesday evening around 6:30 pm Vickie Sadler, a metro bus operator, accidentally struck and killed a pedestrian as she was turning left from Congress and onto Milam.

Details of the Fatal Metro Accident

The Harris County’s medical examiner’s office eventually identified the victim as Michael Kenneth Unfried, a 37-year-old resident of Pasadena. According to the Houston Chronicle, Unfried is survived by two children, ages 10 and 17.

Ken Unfried, Michael’s father, said his son worked with computers and did computer work for the county and loved his children who were his biggest passion.

Metro officials said Sadler also had another accident prior to this one. She had grazed a tree limb with the bus she was driving. Metro CEO Tom Lambert called Unfried’s death a “preventable accident”.

He also released a statement saying, “As CEO, I want the public to know our thoughts and prayers are with the victim’s family. We have been and will continue to stress safe driving practices for our operators. We are also doubling up our efforts to push the pedestrian safety message to the public and our employees.”

Bus Accident Statistics

The following information is provided by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA):

• 3,978 large trucks and buses were involved in fatal accidents in 2014.
• Transit buses accounted for 33 percent of all bus accident recorded between 2004 and 2014. Inner city buses accounted for 13 percent.
• From 2009 to 2014, the number of injury related crashes involving buses and large trucks increased by 55 percent.