-WJLA Script-

Anchor:
IT'S NOT BEEN A GOOD WEEK FOR METRO, ONE OF IT'S DRIVERS WAS SENT TO JAIL Wednesday FOR RUNNING DOWN TWO PEDESTRIANS. ANOTHER PEDESTRIAN STRUCK AND KILLED EARLIER THIS WEEK.

AND NOW 7 ON YOUR SIDE'S ROSS MCLAUGHLIN HAS AN INVESTIGATION INTO METRO BUS ACCIDENTS THAT WILL HAVE YOU LOOKING BOTH WAYS WHEN YOU CROSS THE STREET.

Ross McLaughlin:
OVER THE LAST YEAR WE'VE CONDUCTED SEVERAL INVESTIGATIONS INTO METRO AND NOW WE'VE GOT OUR HANDS ON THOUSANDS OF ACCIDENTS STATISTICS..IT TOOK WEEKS TO GET THE DATA AND AFTER ANALYZING IT WE'VE DISCOVERED ON AVERAGE THERE ARE AT LEAST 6 ACCIDENTS A DAY INVOLVING METRO BUSES..AND IN 12 MONTHS.. 7 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED.

Story:
Ross: "That bus is going 35 going through a yellow light red light. There we go, look at that."

WE'VE HIT THE STREETS AND CAUGHT THEM DOING IT.

Ross: "When you see something like that what goes through your mind?"

Greg Schoenborn: "My wife being killed by a bus."

GREG SCHOENBORN KNOWS...THIS IS THE VIDEO OF HIS WIFE AND HIS BEST FRIEND BEING STRUCK AND KILLED BY A METRO BUS. SADLY THEY'RE NOT THE ONLY ONES. ON ANY GIVEN DAY IT'S EASY TO SPOT A METRO BUS ACCIDENT LIKE THIS ONE IN NW DC.. I WAS OUT SO I USED MY CELL PHONE TO GRAB THE VIDEO.

HOW OFTEN DOES THIS HAPPEN? 7 ON YOUR SIDE HAS UNCOVERED THE TRUTH. FROM MAY OF 2006 TO MAY OF 2007..THERE WERE MORE THAN 23 HUNDRED METRO BUS ACCIDENTS. 23 INVOLVING PEDESTRIANS..BUT WHOSE FAULT IS IT? WE DISCOVERED 40 PERCENT OF THE ACCIDENTS WERE THE FAULT OF THE BUS DRIVERS.

Milo Victoria/Metro Bus Operations: "We're not absolutely not ignoring the issue."

MEET MILO VICTORIA THE NEW HIRE TO OVERSEE BUS OPERATIONS. HE'S HERE TO PUT A STOP TO RED LIGHT RUNNING... SPEEDING DRIVERS, AND THOSE WHO IGNORE STOP SIGNS. HOW? SINCE THE SPRING METRO HAS STEPPED UP SAFETY TRAINING OF IT'S DRIVERS. (24 HUNDRED DRIVERS TRAINED) 963 DRIVERS HAVE BEEN DISCIPLINED...NEARLY 40 PERCENT SUSPENDED (374) AND 19 TERMINATED.

Milo Victoria/Metro Bus Operations: "Our goal is to reduce accidents by 50 percent in the next five years."

THEY NEED TO BECAUSE..

Ross: "Right thru the light."

Reaction:"Dang"

Reaction:"Huh

CLEARLY THERE'S ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.

Shawn:"Yellow red."

Ross McLaughlin:
METRO HAS SOME OTHER THINGS TO WORK ON LIKE DRUG AND ALCOHOL TESTING..ACCORDING TO IT'S OWN POLICY AFTER SERIOUS ACCIDENTS BUS DRIVERS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE TESTED WITHIN 2 HOURS BUT 70 PERCENT OF THE THE TIME THAT FAILED TO HAPPEN..THEY NEED TO WORK MORE CLOSELY WITH POLICE TO MEET THE STANDARD.

IF YOU NEED HELP..GO TO WJLA.COM AND CLICK ON "7 ON YOUR SIDE" OR CALL OUR TOLL FREE HOTLINE..866-236-3401.
Previously Reported Data to ABC 7 (.xls)

Injuries In Metrobus Accidents (.xls)
Includes all reported injuries to customers and employees

Metrobus Accidents Involving Pedestrians (.xls)

Disciplinary Actions (.xls)

(Excel or another spreadsheet program will be needed to view documents)