In April of 2001, an accident happened that would forever weigh heavy on the heart of Johnny Hill. Mr. Hill was a 45-year old bus driver with S.M.A.R.T., a publicly funded bus company in the greater Detroit area.
Mr. Hill boarded his bus after being briefed on the vehicle condition, rounded a corner, and stopped to take his first fare of the shift. The rider was 68-year old Mitchell Krzeminski. As the man boarded the bus, Mr. Hill began pulling out into traffic. Unbeknownst to either, the closing system had failed to close the doors and secure them.
As the bus began to move, Mr. Krzeminski fell backward through the doors. There, his foot was captured by the door, directing his body beneath the bus here he would be run over. He died at the scene.
Fast forward, Mr. Hill found himself on trial for homicide. The attorneys hired Dan Billington, who completed an extensive investigation which revealed an air leak in the system, the system responsible for closing the doors. Mr. Billington’s testimony in the areas of crash reconstruction and human factors resulted in a very short deliberation by the jury who would acquit Mr. Hill on all charges.
Though nothing will bring back Mr. Krzeminski, Mr. Billington’s testimony assured that a second tragedy would not occur.
