Did a bus miss a red light before killing a man on West Side Avenue?

A poorly written police report does little to shed light on the circumstances under which a New Jersey Transit bus struck and killed a man as he rode his scooter on West Side Avenue on Friday.

In the report, obtained by Safe Streets Jersey City, two officers describe what they saw when they looked at the bus's dashboard camera.

“The footage shows that the driver of [the bus] was heading north on Westside Avenue. The footage also shows that the traffic light at the intersection of Westside and Stevens Avenue was already red when [the bus] continued through the intersection of Stevens and Westside Avenue.”

“The footage also shows [the victim] View of the traffic light on Westside Avenue. Since the light appeared to be red, he continued north on Westside when he was [the bus].

“Driver of [the bus] stated that he was traveling north on Westside Avenue and was passing Stevens Avenue when he felt “something” hit the bus. He then slowed until he saw a person lying on the ground.”

The report identifies the victim as 29-year-old Timothy John Alva of Bayonne.

In a written statement, an NJ Transit spokesperson simply said: “On Friday, August 23, at approximately 11:56 a.m., an NJ TRANSIT bus traveling on Route 80 toward Montgomery Street & Greene Street in Jersey City struck and fatally injured a scooter rider at the intersection of West Side Avenue & Van Nostrand Avenue in Jersey City. The 40 passengers on the bus were not injured. The Jersey City Police Department is leading the investigation.”

Jersey City did not respond to a request for comment.

Colin DeVries of Safe Streets Jersey City was confused. “Trying to decipher the language in the police report leaves it unclear what exactly happened. The NJ Transit bus dashcam footage may provide further clarity, and we should demand full disclosure to know what really happened and how to avoid it in the future.”

News of the accident first appeared on the website Reddit. “Top-Carrot4369” described how he went to the scene of the accident. “All the passengers and the driver were standing outside and in a state of turmoil. As I approached, I noticed a man lying in the middle of the road next to a broken e-scooter. There were no police on the scene yet and the accident had only just happened. I stood there wondering why no one was helping the man. Witnesses, both from the bus and passersby, seemed to believe he was beyond help – some said he 'died on the spot.'”

In another Reddit post that appears to confirm police's description of Alva riding his scooter north before being struck by the bus from behind, a 15-year-old who was on the bus at the time of the incident said it looked like Alva “tried to 'outrun' the bus and acted like he was racing it.”

The danger for pedestrians, cyclists and scooter riders has increased as Jersey City's streets become more crowded. Last March, a 33-year-old man was hospitalized after being hit by a car while riding an electric scooter downtown. The driver fled. Last month, a cyclist was hospitalized after crashing into a car on Newark Avenue. Automobile and alternative mobility advocates have increasingly clashed as the city has built protected bike lanes, partially removed parking spaces and reduced the number of lanes for cars.

In 2018, the city implemented Vision Zero, described as “a comprehensive strategy to eliminate all traffic fatalities and serious injuries and improve safe, healthy and equitable mobility for all.” The success of Vision Zero is unclear so far. The administration's own statistics do not appear to show a significant decrease in deaths on the city's streets since implementation.

Meanwhile, Alva's death has shocked many. According to reports, Alva had planned to marry his girlfriend of ten years in September.

In a message to the Jersey City Times, Top-Carrot4369 described his feelings after the crash.

“I learned more about the victim and his family through a Reddit post when they contacted me. It was devastating to find out that such a kind person had to go so quickly… It clearly wasn't his fault alone. Someone shared that he had just left his house to get coffee for himself and his fiancée, but never returned. It broke my heart to hear that. Although I didn't know TJ personally, I feel deep sadness.”