A routine evening walk turned into a terrifying close call for a family that narrowly avoided being hit by a Halifax Transit bus at a crosswalk.
Tom Himmelman was able to obtain video from the bus, which show just how narrowly the vehicle missed hitting him, his four-year-old son, and their dog.
He’s now speaking out and hoping to advance training in the municipality for drivers in order to create safer roads.
Himmelman said he was at the crosswalk on Novalea Drive last November at around 6 p.m. and recalls pushing the button to activate the lights to signal they were crossing.
The video, which he provided to Global News, shows the crosswalk lights are flashing.
“We started to cross, and we noticed the bus continued to accelerate. I thought, ‘That’s crazy, they must see us.’ We kind of hesitated a bit, and then we kept on going,” he said.
“Three-quarters of the way across the crosswalk, it became clear that the bus was not going to stop. I had to grab my son, pull the dog, and we ran, and just got out of the way of the bus.”
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He says the bus honked but didn’t stop.
“Once we were clear of the bus, it was anger. I was upset. Then, after the fact, I felt helpless. It’s like, ‘Well, you didn’t get hit, there’s nothing to be done.’”
He decided to take action and reached out to the municipality with his concerns.
It took him four or five calls to 311 before he was put in touch with Halifax Transit, he says, and was able to speak to a manager.
“Once I spoke with that manager, I felt better. They explained to me that they would pull all the video files. They would meet with the driver and the union rep, they’d go over training and safety,” he said.
With the video files now in his hands, he says he’s speaking out because it’s important to call for improved training on crosswalk safety. He adds it isn’t about this specific driver, but rather safety for all.
The municipality says it can’t comment on specific investigations but adds that safety is their highest priority.
“Halifax Transit Bus Operators are trained using a series of defensive driving modules. These modules include specific training for recognizing and safely approaching intersections and crosswalks, protecting pedestrians, scanning for hazards, and the rules of the road,” wrote spokesperson Brynn Budden in an email.
The municipality encourages anyone with safety concerns to report them through 311.
Meanwhile, the close call is an experience Himmelman won’t soon forget.
“In hindsight, we won’t start walking anymore until vehicles have stopped in both directions, no matter how far away they are,” he said.
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