JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Video sent to News4Jax from a viewer Friday appears to show a Jacksonville Transportation Authority bus going around a median and into oncoming traffic.
The viewer said it happened on Mayport Road near Naval Station Mayport.
News4Jax shared the video with JTA, and the agency said it appears to have happened earlier in the month. JTA sent a statement reading in part:
“The safety and security of our passengers, bus operators and other drivers is paramount. We understand this video is from early June and we are looking back at our records to research this incident. If we find that the driver didn’t perform his or her duties properly, we’ll address that internally.”
The video was sent less than a day after News4Jax received a photo that appears to show a railroad crossing arm on top of a JTA bus in San Marco. In response to the photo, JTA told News4Jax, “Given the angle of this crossing … the bus operator had to pass that white line in order to get an unobstructed view of the tracks” and that “the operator violated no protocols.”
A statement in response to the photo reads:
“When the operator approached the rail crossing, the tracks were clear. As the operator was coming to a stop, which they are required to check for oncoming trains, the warning lights and bells activated after he passed the crossing arm. That operator then had to make a split second decision whether to proceed across the tracks or to stay put. We found the operator made the correct decision by staying put and away from the tracks. ”
The News4Jax I-TEAM found the driver involved is still facing “hold status” and, as of Friday, is not driving a bus because the driver didn’t immediately report the arm hitting the bus.
The photo and video come less than a week after Jeanie Rozar died when she became entangled after getting off a JTA bus. The driver of the bus was fired after the accident.
Nathaniel Ford, JTA's CEO, told News4Jax the agency is reiterating safety training.
JTA said if something doesn't look right on the road to contact JTA's customer service department at 904-630-3100.