Lawsuit: West View man said he was dragged by Port Authority bus in Pittsburgh
A West View man is suing Port Authority of Allegheny County for negligence after he said his arm got caught in the rear door of a bus when the driver closed it early, causing him to be dragged.
Lloyd Gaston was a passenger on the 61B and boarded the bus around 12:55 p.m. Aug. 18, 2020, on Forbes Avenue at Atwood Street in Oakland, the complaint said.
The lawsuit said that the driver was either inattentive or distracted when she closed the rear bus doors on Gaston’s arm.
She then accelerated, dragging Gaston, the lawsuit said. The complaint said that Gaston fell and was possibly run over by the bus before becoming pinned between the rear passenger-side tire and the curb.
According to the complaint, Gaston suffered multiple rib fractures, a liver laceration, internal bleeding, injuries to his bowels and altered GI function as a result.
The lawsuit, which includes Gaston’s wife, Barbara, as a plaintiff, includes claims for negligence and carelessness against Port Authority.
A Port Authority spokesman said he could not comment on pending litigation.
Paula Reed Ward is a TribLive reporter covering federal and Allegheny County courts. She joined the Trib in 2020 after spending nearly 17 years at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, where she was part of a Pulitzer Prize-winning team. She is the author of "Death by Cyanide." She can be reached at pward@triblive.com.
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