Bus stop moved after teen's death

The death of a 16-year-old boy has prompted the Utah Transit Authority to move a bus stop in an east Salt Lake neighborhood.

Sebastian Osman died last month from severe head injuries about a week after a minivan struck him at 1300 East and 700 South. Osman and a friend were crossing the street in front of a Utah Transit Authority bus when the minivan came alongside the bus but did not stop for the teenagers. Osman lingered, brain dead, in the hospital until Feb. 25, when his family removed him from life support.

The same day as Osman's accident, neighborhood resident Julia Robertson said she called City Councilwoman Nancy Saxton and community advocates in Mayor Rocky Anderson's office to get the bus stop moved.

"Moving the bus stop is one of the first things that we want done to make this street safer," Robertson said Wednesday, when UTA relocated the stop.

The stop's spot on the southeast corner of the intersection meant that pedestrians crossed in front of buses and were less apparent to other cars, Robertson said. She said that moving the stop north of the intersection would give pedestrians better eye contact with drivers because pedestrians would cross behind the buses that run every 10 minutes.

UTA spokesman Justin Jones said that an investigation of Osman's accident is still in progress. Osman's family declined to say whether it has hired a lawyer or plans to sue.

"The location of the stop was not unsafe where it was," Jones said. "But moving it would help — hopefully prevent — any future accidents like this."

Engineers for the Utah Department of Transportation, which owns and maintains that stretch of 1300 East, will count the number of children from three schools in the neighborhood who use crosswalks and the number of cars that pass during school hours. UDOT spokeswoman Bethany Eller said the agency also will examine the frequency of accidents involving young drivers and if merited, consider steps to catch the attention of inexperienced drivers.

Saxton, who said she wants a better balance of traffic and pedestrian needs on 1300 East, has requested a list of costs for adding wheelchair accessibility to the relocated stop. The city, not UTA, pays for bus stops.

Mark Maxfield, a neighborhood activist, wants to see a pedestrian-activated light or raised crosswalk at 1300 East and 700 South. "We think that will improve the visual safety of people trying to cross oncoming traffic," he said.

Meanwhile, Robertson said that Osman's death is an opportunity for the community to educate its children and drivers.

The neighborhood is planning a service day on April 29 to raise money for Osman's funeral costs.

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E-mail: kswinyard@desnews.com