CINCINNATI — The driver of a Metro bus that hit and killed an 87-year-old woman in Hyde Park last week had a suspended license, according to a crash report.
The crash report narrative says Beverly Joanne Kinney was crossing Duck Creek Road at Dana Avenue in a marked crosswalk with the walk signal on when a Metro driver made a right turn and "failed to yield," hitting her.
Kinney was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.
The Metro driver "was found to be operating with a suspended driver's license status," the crash report says.
At the time of the crash, police said they didn't believe excessive speed or impairment played a part in the crash; Metro officials previously said they were cooperating fully with police.
Princeton City School District said Kinney was a retired gifted education teacher in the district.
"Mrs. Kinney was a beloved gifted teacher at R.E.L.I.S. as part of the Princeton community," the district said in a statement. "She was not only a dedicated teacher but also a passionate volunteer and supporter of the arts. We extend our sincerest condolences to her family, friends, and former colleagues during this difficult time."
Sarah Moran was one of Kinney's former students at Robert E. Lucas Intermediate School, which is now Princeton City School's administration building.
“She encouraged the celebration of the diverse thought," Moran said. "She encouraged us to be ourselves and embrace one another."
Moran said Kinney's classroom was a safe space.
"Mrs. Kinney’s room was so incredibly diverse and that diversity was celebrated in ways I hadn’t experienced outside of her classroom," she said.
Her favorite part of being in Kinney's classroom, she said, was learning how to be a critical thinker and the importance of inclusion.
"She wasn’t the type of teacher that was there just to punch a clock and teach the basics. She clearly had a passion for students and wanted to see them be the best humans they could be," Moran said.
Records show the driver had several traffic violations going back 20 years. Many of the charges were dismissed or ignored, but there were prior tickets for driving with a suspended license in 1999 and 2008.
Brandy Jones, senior vice president of external affairs for Metro issued a statement Wednesday afternoon, saying a third-party company's report sent to Metro determined the driver's license was valid as of Jan. 4. The crash happened on Jan. 11.
"Metro has a two-step process to monitor driver's license status," reads Jones' statement. "First, employees are required to self-report when there is a change in their driver's license status. Second, we work with a national third-party vendor who regularly provides us with employee license data from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles."
Jones continues to say that, past the third-party vendor's verification the driver's license was valid as of Jan. 4, Metro was not notified there was anything prior to the crash that indicated otherwise.
The driver is on leave pending the results of the investigation.
A current job opening for Metro bus drivers shows an applicant cannot have more than four points on their driving report.
At this time, the driver has not been charged with a crime.
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