A wheelchair user was left lying on the side of the road after an insensitive New York City bus driver failed to help him when he fell while trying to board the vehicle.
William Romero, a double amputee, was on his way to the hospital for weekly dialysis treatments when the incident occurred last week.
“I’m not a pigeon or a dog that’s left on the ground,” she told ABC7. “It’s his responsibility because he’s supposed to take me to the bus and lock me up. Sometimes, that’s the driver’s job.”
Shocking footage captured on a neighbor’s camera on the Brooklyn street showed Romero attempting to board an MTA bus on August 31.
The vehicle had to stop and move away from the sidewalk because a truck was parked behind it and began to open its doors.
Wheelchair user William Romero was left lying on the street after a cruel New York City bus driver failed to help him after he fell while trying to board the vehicle.
But as he tried to move forward, Romero hit the curb and tipped forward, falling from his chair onto the road.
The driver then closed the door and drove off while a man in the truck ran alongside him and began banging on the window in vain to stop him.
-How do you leave a person in my condition lying on the ground? Romero asked.
Fortunately, he did not suffer any serious injuries.
The man in the truck helped him up, but criticized the driver for placing the vehicle in the road.
“The truck can’t park here either because this is for disabled people,” he said.
William Romero, a double amputee, was on his way to the hospital for weekly dialysis treatments when the incident occurred last week.
Despite seeing him fall, the bus driver closed the doors and drove away from the scene.
The driver has since been removed from service pending disciplinary action.
“This was an unfortunate situation for a customer who would have been able to board the bus safely had the truck not been illegally parked, blocking the bus stop,” MTA spokeswoman Amanda Valdes said in a statement.
“We are thankful that he was not seriously injured. The new expansion of camera enforcement on buses will penalize vehicles blocking bus stops with fines of up to $250 for repeat offenders, in order to make it safer for passengers to board and exit buses. NYC Transit management is looking into this entire incident.”
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