Students react to ECU bus accident

By: Elise Phillips

Posted: 3/31/09

After Thursday's accident between an ECU Transit bus and a bicycle that led to the bicyclist's death, ECU students have had mixed responses to the incident.

Stokes resident Joseph Leon Smallwood, 54, was killed after a university bus ran him over at the corner of East 10th and Lawrence Streets, The Daily Reflector reported on Saturday. Smallwood died after trauma surgery, but the time of death was not released, according to the same report.

David Stall, a student bus driver, says that the student response following the incident has been understanding.

"Most of the students understand that it wasn't our fault," said Stall. "I think most students still feel safe [and] I think they understand that it was an isolated incident."

Courtney Proseus, a sophomore history education major, is one student who is not apprehensive about riding the university bus system.

"My sister drives [an] ECU bus and I know for a fact that they get more training than school bus drivers," said Courtney Proseus, who rides the bus system daily. "I've never felt threatened. They make sure they are ready before they get on the road."

Others, like student Kyndall Peele, have their reservations about getting on the bus after Thursday's accident and another incident last week involving another ECU bus and a university cherry picker that shattered that bus' windows.

"I'm a little apprehensive [about riding the ECU bus system] because this is the second thing that's happened," said Kyndall Peele, a junior journalism major. "I keep wondering if they get more training if that would help, but what can you do? You have to ride the bus to get to school."

Stall says that student bus drivers undergo "intense" training that includes a 19-day program of several tests and other training opportunities.

"Greenville has one of the third largest training organizations in the state," Stall said. "I would say the training is very intense. They don't play."

A 26-year-old ECU student, known as "T.J." by his fellow bus drivers, was driving the bus when the bicyclist was struck. Stall says he called T.J. after Thursday's accident and said that he seemed fine, but Stall has not talked with the driver since then.

"He's doing pretty good," Stall said. "I told him not to worry about it; it was an accident."

The Daily Reflector reported on Friday that the driver will be undergoing a mandatory drug test and will be debriefed by school officials. He will be suspended from driving a university bus pending the outcome of the drug test.

The ECU Student Transit Authority was unable to comment about Thursday's accident.

In order to work for the ECU Student Transit Authority, students must maintain a 2.0 GPA, submit to a mandatory alcohol and drug test, have a clean university judicial record and good driving record, have a valid North Carolina driver's license, be able to work at least 18 hours a week and be able to work in a "diverse, fast paced environment," according to their Web site.

This writer can be contacted at editor@theeastcarolinian.com.