DETROIT (WXYZ) — It’s the video at the center of a mother’s heartbreak - showing a DDOT bus driver running over her 21-year-old son in broad daylight.
Watch Simon Shaykhet's video report:
She says his serious injuries are made worse by the fact that criminal charges won’t be filed, and no one has reached out to help.
The mother of Tjuane Smith says she’s still heartbroken more than 3 weeks after he was struck by a DDOT bus driver. She’s also responding to news charges won’t be filed as her attorney is sharing a new photo of damage to the bus.
It’s the surveillance video shared with us by a business owner that Shakira Cooper says still haunts her - images just seconds before a DDOT driver ran over her son in late July.
Previous story: Mother of DDOT bus victim speaks out about him being run over
“He’s not the same. I can tell,” Cooper says.
Twenty-one-year-old Tjuane Smith has since had his spleen removed and now struggles to walk.
The bus driver was traveling eastbound on Warren near Junction, and Cooper says she never hit the brakes.
I’ve now confirmed police concluded their investigation, but the prosecutor has declined to file criminal charges, telling me in a statement:
In the case we reviewed, the video of the bus, statements of two witnesses, and police reports of the officers that arrived at the scene, just after the victim was hit.
The case was denied because there was insufficient evidence to find that a crime was committed. If other new relevant evidence is presented to the police, we will certainly review it.
“I’m shocked. I can’t. I’m shocked,” Cooper says, adding she believes a crime was committed.
Attorney Arnold Reed insists this was preventable and expressed outrage that no one has called to check on Tjuane or offer any help.
“This was inflicted on his life,” Reed says. “He didn’t ask for this. He didn’t run in front of that bus. He didn’t jump into the street. He was in the bicycle lane where he should have been.”
He adds that a witness account proves the driver was in the bike lane when she drifted toward Tjuane and struck him. Reed adds that witness still hasn’t been interviewed by police.
The city previously said the driver was suspended, and I’ve since learned tests for alcohol and drugs came back negative. A city spokesperson confirms the driver is still not back on the road and that their “long-term” status is under review.
“She deserves better. Her child deserved better,” Reed says. “That’s why these lawsuits are brought.”
Cooper says her son now has medical bills piling up, and he’ll likely need years of physical therapy.
Reed says he’s continuing to pursue accountability and will file a lawsuit within a couple of months.
