Detroit bus driver gets six months in prison for killing pedestrian

It was the second time Geraldine Johnson's bus had struck and killed someone.

“I was amazed at the driving story,” said Judge E. Lynise Bryant.

Janice Bauer, 67, was struck by a city bus while walking through downtown Detroit in June 2023. She was a regular bus driver and happened to work for a regional transit company.

Johnson, 61, pleaded no contest to moving violation resulting in death, a misdemeanor.

The judge examined Johnson's driving record and noted that there were many accidents even after the 2015 death of a man who was hit while trying to remove his bicycle from the front of her bus.

Johnson did not return to work for more than 18 months. Under a union contract, she was not punished for the death because of her long absence from work, officials said.

Bryant said Johnson should have questioned her own ability to drive after “more than the usual number of accidents” occurred.

“I have to say, 'Wait a minute.' Something is wrong. Something's wrong with me. “Must be my perception, my ability – my something,” the judge said.

Johnson did not comment in court.

“She just didn’t see them. “This was not an intentional act,” said defense attorney Sharon Clark Woodside.

A union representative told The Detroit News last year that Johnson isn't always at fault in accidents.

In court, three siblings told the judge about their love for Bauer. “Janice wasn’t done with life yet. She had places to go, things to do and people to see,” Linda Bauer said.

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