PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — It’s been nearly 9 years since David Sale’s daughter, Danielle, was hit and killed by a TriMet bus in Northwest Portland. Now he along with Families for Safe Streets is proposing 2 new bills that he claims will keep streets safer and keep TriMet accountable.
Danielle Sale and Jenee Hammel died in April 2010 when they were hit by a bus at NW Broadway and Glisan shortly before midnight. Three other people were hit in the crash. All 5 people knew each other and were leaving a comedy club when they were hit by the turning bus.
Senate Bill 746 would require TriMet drivers to take a writing test every 8 years when they renew their licenses. Senate Bill 747 would require an independent committee to investigate any crash that TriMet is involved in rather than TriMet investigating itself.
Both bills will be formally introduced on Tuesday.
After his daughter’s death in 2010, Sale said all he wanted was more transparency in TriMet’s investigation. SB 747 would make that happen.
“What this does is keeps everybody on the same page, maintains integrity for the crash victims themselves, so that they can be held accountable at some point. Or Trimet can be held accountable,” Sale told KOIN 6 News.
“The public is who they’re responsible for,” Sale said. “We’re just trying to hold them accountable to you, the public. It impacts everybody.”
KOIN 6 News reached out to TriMet for comment, but because the bills have not yet passed, TriMet declined to comment.
However, officials did say, “TriMet takes very seriously our obligation to our riders, our employees and our community, every serious incident, especially those involving loss of life.”