Last Thursday, what seemed like a normal street crossing ended in tragedy for two employees of the Urban and Domestic Waste Authority in the district of Juan Diaz. The women were returning from work when they were run over by a bus right on the pedestrian crossing. The incident was recorded by surveillance cameras in the area, which show the moment both were crossing the zebra crossing when the bus appeared.
One of the victims, waste collector Yandira Pinto, still relives the moment when a green bus ran over them as they walked along the white safety line. Pinto told Telemetro that that morning they were crossing the street together with her supervisor when a small car stopped to give them way.
"I saw the bus and raised my hand for it to stop, because we were already crossing. I thought it was going to brake... but it didn't. The bus continued and ran us over," recalled the worker, her voice still marked by the fear of that moment. The impact threw them onto the pavement.
Pinto suffered strong blows and had to receive 12 stitches in her head, in addition to pain in her back, waist, and the back of her head. Despite her injuries, she says she thanks God for being alive and being able to tell what happened. The woman was urgently transferred to the hospital complex of the Social Security Fund, where she underwent surgery after the hit-and-run.
Her companion's situation, who was also her supervisor, is much more critical. So far, the supervisor remains in a coma, fighting for her recovery while receiving medical attention. While trying to recover from her own injuries, Pinto also asked that the case not be forgotten.
She points out that she hopes justice will determine responsibilities for what happened. She says that is the hardest burden she carries since that day. The hearing for the case has been scheduled for April, where it will be analyzed if there was negligence on the part of the bus driver involved in the accident. Today, amid pain and memories, the collector says she only hopes for one thing: that her companion wakes up and that justice is served for what happened that morning in Juan Diaz.
