MICHELE MCCLINTICK
WIVB
Reprinted with Permission

EVANS, N.Y. (WIVB) - Monday morning, a school bus with students on board struck and killed a pedestrian on Route 5.


Police say 49-year-old Ronald Wattie, who was a volunteer firefighter in Evans and worked as a dialysis technician at Buffalo General has been killed.

"It was a real sad morning," said Matt Murawski.

Murawski was pumping gas at a Sunoco station on Route 5 early Monday morning, when he witnessed an unthinkable crash.

"I seen the bus hit the man and just drag him 20 feet," said Murawski.

Murawski said he watched in horror.

The Lakeshore school bus was headed to drop students off at Lakeshore Middle and High School when the driver struck a pedestrian.

The pedestrian then fell underneath the bus and was pinned.

Police say the driver didn't realize he hit someone.

"A pedestrian had jumped out of their vehicle to stop the bus, to let them know that they hit somebody," said Murawski.

Evans Police say neither the pedestrian or the bus driver violated any traffic laws.

Evans Police Captain Charles Danzi said, "The victim was in the crosswalk, he had the green light as well as the bus also had the green light."

It was dark when this happened around 6:45 a.m. The bus was filled with students who saw the scene.

"One of the middle school counselors was actually on the scene. Didn't witness it but was here right away, so she got on the bus and started calming the kids down," said Danzi.

Matt Murawski knew Wattie, who he said had the same routine every morning. "He walked to the metro bus, to catch the city bus downtown to go to work. He's a volunteer fireman, he's an all-around good man."

The fire chaplain came the scene Monday morning, when fire crews on the scene realized the victim was a fellow firefighter. There are no charges at this time, the crash remains an investigation.

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