Newly released footage shows the moments leading up to a horrific bus crash in Seattle that left a 28-year-old woman dead.
The crash, which occurred on November 4 in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood, occurred after the driver of a red sedan blew through a red light.
The car, driven by 31-year-old Adam Abelson, could be seen driving down Fifth Avenue before colliding with the bus, causing it to crash into the facade of a bank where Amanda Joelle Schneider was walking.
The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office (KCPAO) released footage of the crash captured by four different traffic cameras.
It shows how the impact of Abelson’s car forced the bus into the side of the building, hitting Schneider who was waiting to cross the street. She died instantly.
A red sedan southbound on 5th Avenue in Seattle collided with a bus traveling eastbound on Battery Street. The collision caused the bus to leave the roadway, where it crashed and killed a woman
Footage captured by several traffic cameras captured the moments leading up to a tragic bus crash in Seattle
The accident, which occurred on November 4 in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood, occurred after the driver of a red sedan blew through a red light
The impact of Abelson’s car forced the bus into the side of the building, hitting Schneider who was waiting to cross the street. She died instantly
The bus also had more than a dozen passengers on board at the time of the crash, all of whom suffered minor injuries.
Eight people, including the bus driver and passengers, were treated and transported after the accident.
The bus driver was injured because his steering wheel was stuck to his leg. He also suffered from a sore shoulder and headache.
Abelson had to be extricated from the vehicle and received medical treatment for his injuries at Harborview Medical Center.
He has since been charged with vehicular homicide, reckless driving and no valid driver’s license.
The collision killed Amanda Joelle Schneider, who was waiting to cross the street
Adam Abelson, 31, was the driver of a red sedan that allegedly ran a red light and crashed into the bus along 5th Avenue, causing it to crash into a bank
Drug paraphernalia was also discovered on the front passenger seat of the car when Abelson was found unconscious, according to court records.
A toxicology test was ordered for Abelson, while results from the Washington State Toxicology Lab were still pending.
KCPAO records show Abelson has a previous hit-and-run conviction, along with a pending case involving fleeing a police officer and running a red light in downtown Seattle.
Abelson has amassed more than 50 warrants for his arrest over the years.
Prosecutors stated in court documents: “This defendant is a grave danger to the public and a flight risk. He is not expected to appear before a court of his own volition.”
The streets surrounding the accident site were cordoned off after the collision
On the left you can see the car Abelson was driving as the bus ended up on the sidewalk
The accident happened at high speed, leaving the bus with nowhere to go but the sidewalk
Abelson, who was driving the sedan, seen at left, has since been charged with vehicular homicide, reckless driving and no valid driver’s license
Abelson’s bail has been set at $500,000, and he is currently being held in the King County Jail.
The victim, Schneider, was an aspiring figure skater who had moved to Seattle from California.
She was passionate about music, fitness, skating, dancing and studied psychology
“He killed our precious daughter,” father Karl Schneider told the newspaper Seattle Times. ‘She was too young to die. A horrible way to die, in my opinion.
“We went to baseball games. At one point she knew all the San Francisco Giants. She is a very sweet, sweet, calm person.
“She was daddy’s little girl,” Karl said.