INDIANAPOLIS — A 14-year-old girl died in the hospital after being struck by a bus on Friday, IMPD said.
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Police say officers responded to a report of a serious bodily injury in the 3800 block of N Post Road just after 8:40 p.m. Responding officers found the girl, who was a pedestrian, in the roadway after being hit by a bus.
The girl was transported to the hospital in critical condition, but later succumbed to her injuries.
Investigators tell WRTV they are still investigating, gathering video and speaking with witnesses.
IndyGo shared this statement with WRTV on Monday regarding the incident:
"IndyGo is aware of a fatal accident Friday night involving a young woman and one of our buses. Our hearts go out to her family and friends as they mourn the loss of their loved one.
"The IMPD investigation into what happened is ongoing and IndyGo is assisting where needed."
Safety advocates say the crash points to a bigger problem: streets built for cars, not people.
"It's just really tragic… and I think it's obvious when looking at the road that this is still a high-speed wide road, and there's not many safe pedestrian crossings, despite the improvements made by IndyGo," said Jakob Morales, the Central Indiana Cycling Advocacy Committee Chair.
Morales says many streets in Indianapolis were designed decades ago to move cars quickly, leaving pedestrians to navigate dangerous conditions just to reach a bus stop.
Investigators are still working to determine what led up to Friday night's crash.
“The fatal crash review team reviews the crash reporting and the data, and comes together with recommendations to improve safety at locations that have fatal or severe crashes,” Anthony Cherolis with the fatal crash review team said.
Cherolis says that the process can take months, but the larger goal is long-term change.
The team works alongside IMPD and the Department of Public Works to determine what infrastructure or safety gaps could have contributed to a deadly crash.
“Successful cities take into account that people are getting from point A to point B in different ways — cars, buses, walking, biking, and road design needs to reflect that,” Cherolis said.
While public transit is statistically safer than driving, getting to and from the bus stop can be the most dangerous part of the journey.
“A lot of the streets that we have in Indy for decades have been designed to move cars fast, and that makes it particularly dangerous for people walking and biking,” Cherolis added.
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