Victim of bus stop crash sues county, RTC
A victim of the Sept. 13 bus stop crash that killed four and injured eight others is suing Clark County and the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada and alleging officials neglected to move the bus stop despite knowing it was in a dangerous location.
Members of the RTC said they have not yet received information regarding the lawsuit. They have been working for nearly five years on relocating bus stops to safer areas but have been hindered by a lack of funding.
Zexiang Wang, whose lawyers filed the lawsuit Tuesday, alleges Clark County and the RTC were negligent because they ignored a 2008 RTC study that found more than 1,000 Clark County bus stops unsafe.
The report said that bus stops needed to be moved at least 5 feet from active traffic lanes to reduce deadly bus stop crashes and that the moves could lessen accidents by up to 80 percent.
While the RTC since has spent $15 million on safety measures, including moving bus stops, raising curbs and installing bus turnouts, the bus stop at the intersection of the accident was never moved or updated.
Wang, a 19-year-old student from China, is suing Gary Hosey, the driver of the 2001 Monte Carlo that crashed into a bus stop near Spring Mountain Road and Decatur Boulevard about 6:30 a.m. Records indicate Hosey is still in custody at the Clark County Detention Center on $4 million bail awaiting his next hearing in March.
According to police, Hosey took three blood alcohol tests, which showed levels both above and below the legal limit. He also tested positive for THC, the primary ingredient in marijuana, though law enforcement could not prove when it was ingested or whether Hosey was under the influence of marijuana at the time of the accident.
On Monday, the city of Las Vegas announced a $1 million donation to the RTC to help buy private property near bus stops so they can be moved farther from the street. According to Mayor Carolyn Goodman, the money could pay for up to 200 relocations.
The RTC reports there are 3,156 bus stops in the valley, and while about 1,000 still need to be moved, officials lack the funding to do so.
As of Wednesday, information officers with the RTC said they have not yet received any information or notice about the lawsuit and could not comment.
Contact reporter Tara Verderosa at tverderosa@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0264.
