CINCINNATI — Newly obtained surveillance footage shows the moments before a Metro driver struck and killed an 87-year-old woman in Hyde Park.
Deon Willis is facing five counts of vehicular manslaughter related to the Jan. 11 death of Beverly Joanne Kinney, a former Princeton High School teacher.
On Jan. 11, CPD's Traffic Unit was called to the intersection of Dana Avenue and Duck Creek Road near I-71 to investigate a fatal crash involving a Metro bus and a pedestrian.
In bus surveillance footage from Metro, Willis is seen turning onto Duck Creek Road before hitting Kinney, who was crossing Duck Creek Road at Dana Avenue in a marked crosswalk when hit.
After Willis hits Kinney, he says "what the hell?" before bringing the bus to a stop.
Willis then runs off the bus to go check on Kinney, and then a person on the bus is seen exiting while talking to 911. Willis also ran back inside the bus to call 911.
Watch the full bus surveillance video below:
Willis was in court Friday where a judge gave him a $50,000 bond, but he only has to pay $5,000 of that, and his sister told WCPO 9 he's willing to do so.
"Deon is not the type of person you're trying to make him out of and that's all I've got to say," Jamisha Willis said.
She said his previous driving offenses don't make him a criminal, and that's he's haunted every day by what happened to Kinney.
"You're saying it was an accident," WCPO asked Jamisha Wills.
"It was a total accident. Yes ma'am it was," she said. "And Deon has sympathy for your guys' family and when he gets a chance he's going to apologize to the family."
Prior to the January crash, court records show that Willis had other traffic violations going back 20 years. According to his personnel file, he was involved in three other crash since he was hired by Metro in February 2018.
RELATED | Metro driver who struck, killed 87-year-old has history of crashes while behind the wheel of a bus
Kinney's family shared a statement Wednesday saying Willis should be prosecuted to the fullest extent. They also had strong words for Metro.
"Metro should never have let this man behind the wheel of a city bus, given Willis's terrible driving history and the fact that he put a 24-year-old in a wheelchair while driving a Metro bus before he killed this wonderful woman," the family said. "Metro's conduct in allowing Willis to remain a Metro driver enabled him to kill Beverly Kinney."
Jamisha Willis again expressed her remorse, insisiting the crash was a tragic accident.
"Whoever the family is, (Deon) do give his condolences. We give our condolence. We feel bad that it happened to your family," she said.
Metro said Wednesday that it is reviewing the results of the police investigation and the charges brought against Willis as part of its internal investigation.
Willis is expected to be back in court on June 10.
