Woman Hit by Tri-Met Bus in Tigard is in Critical Condition

Date:  February 16, 2012
Location:  Oregon 99W, north of Walnut Street, Tigard
Name:  Zoe Ann Mead

A 51-year-old Tigard woman is in a critical condition in OHSU Hospital after being struck by a Tri-Met bus Thursday night. The woman’s mother witnessed the accident and told reporters her daughter’s condition is now “touch and go.”

A Tigard Police Department spokesman told KATU.com that Zoe Mead was walking with her mother when she ran across Highway 99W to get something from a convenience store. It was when Mead was returning from the store that she was struck by a Tri-Met bus that had turned left from Walnut Street onto Highway 99W. It was dark and Mead was reportedly about 10 to 15 yards north of the crosswalk when she was hit.

Emergency responders rushed Mead to OHSU Hospital with severe and life-threatening injuries. As of Friday morning, she remained in a critical condition.

The bus driver, a six-year Tri-Met veteran, has been placed on administrative leave while the investigation continues. She will be checked for drugs and alcohol, and the bus will be checked for mechanical faults, but police say none of these things appear to be factors in the accident.

We would like to send our most sincere and heartfelt best wishes to Zoe Mead, her mother and the rest of her family at this worrying time. Our thoughts are with you.

If a pedestrian is hit in a crosswalk, it is generally considered the driver’s fault. However, just like everything in the law, there are exceptions. If the pedestrian was wearing dark clothes, and it was dark, the driver can sometimes escape prosecution. Or if a pedestrian darts out unexpectedly into an intersection, the law may take the driver’s side too. This is a tricky case. It’s unclear exactly how near Zoe Mead was to the crosswalk, but all cases are different, of course, so contact a knowledgeable lawyer if you have any questions about your case.