Man in his 80s crushed to death by Jerusalem bus

A man was killed in Jerusalem Thursday when he became trapped beneath the wheels of a public bus after he apparently slipped from the sidewalk and fell under the vehicle. The driver, not noticing, drove off.

The pedestrian, in his 80s, was run over on Oleh Hagardom Street in the Armon Hanatziv neighborhood of the capital.

An emergency response doctor declared him dead at the scene. Police and traffic inspectors opened an investigation into the incident. The driver, who is from the Egged bus company, was detained for questioning.

According to the Ynet website, an initial investigation found that the man had planned to board the bus to meet his grandson, in his 20s, who was sitting inside. For unknown reasons the grandfather apparently slipped from the sidewalk as he tried to board and fell under the bus. The driver closed the doors and began to move the vehicle, trapping the man beneath the wheels.

Three fire service units were involved in releasing the man from under the bus, which required lifting the vehicle, Channel 12 television reported.