DETROIT (WXYZ) — The Detroit Department of Transportaion bus driver behind the wheel during a June 2 fatal crash downtown — the second in her career — has been involved in at least eight crashes since 2015, a magistrate disclosed Wednesday.
Longtime DDOT bus driver Geraldine Johnson was behind the wheel earlier this month when she was turning left at the intersection of Griswold and West Congress. At the same time, prosecutors say 67-year-old Janice Bauer was crossing the street.
RELATED: 'How is this tolerated?' Family grieves after DDOT driver's second fatal accident
“This case is tragic on every level,” Prosecutor Kym Worthy said. “Janice Bauer lost her life. The alleged facts are that defendant, Geraldine Johnson, literally ran her over with the city bus she was driving and caused her death.”
As 7 Action News first reported nearly two weeks ago, this is not Johnson’s first fatal crash in a DDOT bus.
In 2015, she ran over passenger Joey Davis as he was trying to remove his bicycle from a rack on the front of a DDOT bus. The city later settled a lawsuit filed by Davis’ family for $4.5 million but did not fire Johnson.
In the years that followed, 36th District Court Magistrate Dawn White disclosed Wednesday Johnson was involved in seven more crashes.
“There have been crashes, either with a bus or your personal vehicle, in 2018, two in ‘19, one in ‘20, one in ‘21, one in ’22, and then we have this mater today,” White said.
When asked whether DDOT was aware of Johnson’s other crashes that preceded this month’s fatal accident. City spokesman John Roach said he did not know.
Johnson is charged with one count of a moving violation causing death, a misdemeanor, which carries up to one year in prison and a $2,000 fine.
Contact 7 Investigator Ross Jones at ross.jones@wxyz.com or at (248) 827-9466.
