JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Neighbors tell Action News Jax the woman hit and killed by a Jacksonville Transportation Authority bus in Mayport was a mom who many people in the community knew.
Officers say a JTA bus ran her over on Ocean Street near Pearl Street at 12:30 p.m. June 22.
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The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said it was unclear if she was getting on or off the bus.
“Her arm was, like, caught in the door, so when the bus driver tried to pull off, he was pulling off, and she was like, ‘Hey, hey,’ beating on the door like, ‘Hey, hey, my arm is in the door,’” Kris Drayton said.
Drayton said he was across from the bus stop when he saw her get run over.
“When he realized her arm was in the door, he stopped and opened that door. That’s when her arm came out and she got drug up under the bus,” he said.
JSO said Saturday afternoon it was too early to tell what led to her being hit.
Neighbors told Action News Jax reporter Brittney Donovan that the woman had an 11-year-old daughter and was well known in the area.
“She lived down the street from me and we spoke often. Every morning, I’d see her ride her bicycle up and down the road. We spoke almost daily,” Lesley Curry said.
She says Mayport is a tight-knit community that will come together to support her friends and family.
“When you see somebody daily and knowing they’re not going to be around anymore, it’s heart-wrenching for the community. We lost one of ours,” Curry said.
JTA released a statement Saturday but declined to comment further, saying it was giving JSO time to investigate.
Officers said many buses are equipped with cameras, which could help JSO in its investigation.
JTA statement:
"The Jacksonville Transportation Authority would like to express our deepest condolences to family of the deceased. The safety and security of our customers, employees and the community is paramount. We are cooperating with the JSO's ongoing investigation to get to the bottom of what happened."
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