Pedestrian hit by bus in Adelaide’s eastern suburbs during morning peak hour rush

Locals to where a person was hit by a bus on a busy road during the morning rush say they have been petitioning for years to get a proper pedestrian crossing.

The bus was severely damaged after the incident. Picture: Dasha Havrilenko

A pedestrian has been hit by a bus on a busy road in Hackney during the morning rush hour.

Just after 8.45am, emergency services were called to Hackney Rd to reports of a crash involving a bus and a pedestrian with a person injured and debris on the road.

Pat Kominos, manager of Vailima Gardens Retirement Village, which is across the road from where the incident happened said this accident was inevitable.

Ms Kominos said she had been petitioning the local government to install a light crossing for almost two decades.

Joan Hill said she has seen lots of near misses over the years. Picture: Dasha Havrilenko

Pat Kominos manages the nearby Vailima Gardens Retirement Village. Picture: Dasha Havrilenko

“We’ve been rallying for almost 17, 18 years to try and get a pedestrian crossing, make it safe for people to cross,” Ms Kominos told The Advertiser.

“This was just our worst nightmare.”

Ms Kominos said she believed that a couple in their mid 50s, were crossing the busy road when the bus struck the man.

Emergency services are at the scene of a crash where a person has been hit by a bus during Friday morning’s peak hour., Just after 8.45am, emergency services were called to Hackney Rd, Hackney Picture: Dasha Havrilenko

Meanwhile, local resident Joan Hil said she had witnessed near misses in the past at the crossing,

Ms Hil pointed out nearby there were two schools, including Saint Peters College and Adelaide Botanic High School as well as a large retirement village.

“I have seen a few older teenagers dashing across, taking a chance (to cross the road),” she said.

“There was a disabled man not so long ago, .. and it was a Sunday so there was a bit of a gap (in traffic) but I mean he really struggled (to cross).

“In normal circumstances he would not have been able to get across the road. It took him a good 30 or 40 seconds to get across.”

Hackney Rd was reduced to one lane between Cambridge St and Vailima Court.

Originally published as Pedestrian hit by bus in Adelaide’s eastern suburbs during morning peak hour rush