CENTRAL POINT, Ore. – No criminal charges will be filed against a Greyhound bus driver who struck and killed a man in Central Point.
In the early morning hours of June 29, 25-year-old Hunter Brown was traveling between San Francisco and Seattle aboard a Greyhound bus. Shortly before 1:30 a.m. the bus made a pit stop at the Central Point Pilot Travel Center.
Brown got off the bus along with other passengers. However, he didn’t make it on before the bus driver closed the doors. It appears Brown ran alongside the bus as it started to take off when he fell under it. He was run over and killed.
Legal action
On December 5, attorneys representing Brown’s parents announced a wrongful death lawsuit was filed against Greyhound Lines, Inc.
“Our son had a future ahead of him,” said Paula Becker and Barry Brown, the parents of Hunter Brown. “That future was taken away from him and from us because of the careless actions of the driver and Greyhound.”
The suit alleges Greyhound failed to provide a safe bus ride and a rested, responsible bus driver.
According to the lawsuit, the driver of the bus exhibited “erratic and unsafe” behavior throughout the trip, including saying he was so exhausted he might fall asleep, parking the bus in a roadway so he could use the bathroom, and leaving three teens at a scheduled stop without their belongings.
Attorneys said when the driver stopped at the Pilot Travel Center in Central Point, he began pulling away from the station before the announced departure time, ignoring passengers who tried to tell him there were others left behind.
The suit alleges the Brown ran alongside the bus, pleading with the driver to let him on. That’s when the driver allegedly turned the bus toward Brown and ran him over, killing him.
“This death was 100 percent preventable,” said Charla Aldous, who represents Hunter Brown’s parents. “Hunter trusted Greyhound and its bus driver to safely transport him from Seattle to San Francisco. That didn’t happen.”
The lawsuit seeks damages and accountability from Greyhound to change its business practices.
No criminal charges
On December 14, the Jackson County District Attorney’s Office said after a thorough review, criminal charges will not be filed in this case.
According to prosecutors, an investigation indicates the bus driver may have left early, as reported earlier. Some passengers said they were aware Brown was running toward the bus and tried to yell at the bus driver, but he may not have understood what was being said.
Evidence indicates Brown got to the side of the bus when his foot got caught under the tire. His body was then pulled under the tire.
The D.A.’s Office said the driver told investigators he tried to pull over when he heard a thump. He stopped immediately. Responding officers said the driver was visibly distraught after the incident.
It was determined the driver was not intoxicated or distracted. Speed was not a factor in Brown’s death.
“The events of that day were a terrible tragedy,” the D.A.’s Office wrote. “However, they do not rise to the level of criminal conduct.”
When NBC5 reached out to Greyhound Lines Inc. for comment, they declined, citing pending litigation.
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