VIDEO SHOWS BUS INCIDENT ON-BOARD CAMERA CATCHES PASSENGER'S INJURIES.

Byline: Naush Boghossian Staff Writer

GLENDALE - A camera on board a city Beeline bus captured the front doors closing on the arm of an 83-year-old woman as she tries to exit and is then dragged down the street before the bus' wheels run over her, police revealed Tuesday.

Glendale police have determined that the Thursday incident that left Kyung Ja Oh of Glendale in critical condition was caused by an unsafe start by bus driver Deborah Ann York, 51, of Glendale.

York, a driver for MV Transportation, which contracts with Glendale for its Beeline service, has been placed on administrative leave with pay pending the outcome of the police investigation. She has been with MV since June 2003, with no prior incidents involving injuries, the company said.

The driver could face criminal charges, police said.

``The reality is the driver has an obligation to visually look and check,'' police Lt. Don Meredith said. ``Like anything else, one moment of inattention can have disastrous results.

``Obviously, we're very concerned about an unsafe start causing this misfortune, but unfortunately they happen. Look at the times people back out of their driveways into their kids.''

The video shows the petite victim descending the steps at the front of the bus when it made its stop on Glendale Avenue south of Broadway.

But after closing the doors, the driver only checked the rearview mirror and not the side doors, Meredith said. Police are also looking into the possibility that York's view of the front door could have been obstructed by a man.

York did not notice the victim's arm was stuck in the closed door and began to pull away from the curb, stopping only after passengers alerted the driver that Oh had been struck by the bus, police Sgt. Tom Lorenz said.

The investigation showed that Oh freed her arm from the door, only to be struck by the right rear tires of the bus, Lorenz said.

She suffered broken legs and cuts and remains in critical condition.

The city has contracted with MV Transportation to provide its Beeline bus service since March 2002. Beeline bus service started in 1984.

``We've had an excellent driving record on the system, whether it is this contractor or previous contractors,'' said Steve Zurn, director of public works.

John Biard, chief legal officer and general counsel of the bus company, said that, without all the facts, it was not yet clear if the incident could have been prevented.

Biard also could not confirm whether the bus involved in the incident was equipped with a warning system to alert a driver if any of the doors have not closed.

All transit buses should have an interlock system on their back doors that make the bus unable to move until they are completely shut, but front doors do not have the safety mechanism because they are in the driver's direct line of vision, said Eric Tate, the business representative for Teamsters Local 848, the union that represents York.

There have been numerous situations where riders have been stuck in the back door due to faulty interlock systems, said Tate, a former bus driver, but he had never heard of a passenger getting stuck in the front door.

But Tate said people should not rush to judgment until the investigation is complete.

``Depending on the passenger load, the driver could have had passengers blocking her view of the front door entrance and she couldn't see,'' he said. ``We are not going to make any judgment until we've given the driver every consideration that this was something they couldn't avoid.''

While the bus company is still waiting to hear the conclusion of the police investigation, the incident is likely the first of its kind for the 27-year-old company, Biard said.

``Nothing like that has occurred as it has been described so far,'' Biard said. ``Of course, we're concerned about the person who was injured. No matter who's at fault, this is a tragic incident.''

Naush Boghossian, [phone]

naush.boghossian(at)dailynews.com