It looks like the passengers aren’t the only people to fear when riding a bus in Oklahoma City!
Late last week, news hit the wire that an Oklahoma City EMBARK bus driver was charged with manslaughter for running over an intoxicated man at an OKC bus stop.
I guess the TL;DR is that bus driver Cameron Cunningham wouldn’t let Steven Thomas, a reportedly intoxicated man, board the bus. While Cunningham attempted to drive away, Thomas latched onto the bus and wouldn’t let go. He then slipped and was run over.
Cunningham stopped the bus, got off, and kindly pulled a dying Thomas out of the street. He then called his EMBARK dispatcher to inform them of a “minor incident,” and — in a commitment to public service that only Kramer could top — continued on with his route while Thomas lay dying alone on the side of the street.
Via The OKC Free Press:
Video surveillance footage from the bus showed Cunningham appeared to witness the incident in his rearview mirror and audibly reacted, saying “Oh! Shit…” as the rear tires struck Thomas, according to the affidavit.
The affidavit states that Cunningham then stopped the bus and dragged Thomas out of the street, but he did not call 911. Instead, Cunningham contacted his dispatch and route supervisor via radio.
During that exchange, Cunningham claimed that Thomas had simply fallen and was injured, but did not report that Thomas had been struck or was bleeding. Investigators said he failed to mention visible traumatic injuries, including a severe laceration to the lower abdomen and hip area, or that Thomas was unresponsive.
Due to the inaccurate information provided, dispatchers treated the call as a non-emergency. Cunningham remained at the scene for 10 to 11 minutes before being advised to move Thomas’ legs out of the road and continue his route, which he did, according to the affidavit.
That’s an odd case.
On one hand, the driver – Cunningham – probably does deserve to be charged with manslaughter. I don’t care how dumb you are or how drunk and unruly the passenger was, you can’t just run over a man and then leave him to die on the side of the road! This is real life. It isn’t Grand Theft Bus Driver.
Then again, Cunningham probably also deserves an award from the city for his commitment to the job. I mean, he killed a man and it only delayed the route for 10 to 11 minutes. You don’t hear anything in the write-ups about them complaining, do you?
Although I do think Cunningham should be held accountable in a trial before a jury of his peers, you have to wonder if Oklahoma AG Gentner “I Know Better” Drummond will jump in and unilaterally clear him of any charges.
As Gentner proved when he cleared that OKC cop of what would likely have become murder charges for killing Lich Vu (RIP), he doesn’t mind excusing heinous crimes — as long as they’re committed by someone in uniform who was “just following their training.”
Seriously, I hate to put a bad idea in his head, but I wonder if Gentner’s going to get involved here and drop charges. If we only knew the races of the people involved in the bus stop incident, we could probably tell for sure.
But really, the precedent is there.
Cunningham did call dispatch and report the injury. I know I'm not an ambitious politician running for governor, but I’m sure that aligns with the EMBARK driver training manual way more closely than “violently tossing an elderly man to the ground” follows the OKCPD one.
Anyway, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what Gentner decides. If he schedules a “Beef Burger Meet & Greet” with the bus drivers’ union, I think we’ll know the answer.
In the meantime, our thoughts go out to the family and friends of both Thomas and Vu. Whether through civil or criminal means, let’s hope the people responsible for their deaths are held accountable.
Stay with The Lost Ogle. We’ll keep you advised.
