MTA bus driver allegedly ignores man in wheelchair falling in street, video shows

Correction: The bus stop in this incident is ADA-accessible, according to the MTA.

BROOKLYN (PIX11) — A man in a wheelchair fell into the road Saturday morning while attempting to board an MTA bus at a Brooklyn stop, and the bus driver drove away without helping, an exclusive video obtained by PIX11 News shows.

The video shows the driver opening the bus doors for the man. As he attempts to approach the bus, he falls onto the street. A bystander rushes over to help the man as the bus pulls away and drives off, the video shows.

PIX11 News contacted the MTA, which blamed another truck seen in the video. A spokesperson for the MTA said every bus has a deployable ramp that provides safe boarding and makes the stop ADA-accessible. An illegally parked truck blocked the bus from properly deploying the ramp, according to the spokesperson.

“This was an unfortunate situation for a customer who would have been able to safely board the bus had a truck not been illegally parked, blocking the bus stop. We are thankful he was not seriously injured,” the MTA spokesperson said in a statement. “Newly expanded bus camera enforcement will be ticketing vehicles blocking bus stops with fines up to $250 for repeat offenders to make it safer for passengers to board and get off. This entire incident is under review by NYC Transit management.”

The incident garnered mixed reactions from residents. Some said the bus driver may not have seen the man fall. Others said the bus driver should have helped the man.

MTA officials said the bus driver is being withheld from service pending the results of an internal review.

No serious injuries were reported.

Matthew Euzarraga is a multimedia journalist from El Paso, Texas. He has covered local news and LGBTQIA topics in the New York City Metro area since 2021. He joined the PIX11 Digital team in 2023. You can see more of his work here .

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