Metro bus driver charged in crash that killed 87-year-old woman

Kevin Grasha and Aaron Valdez, Cincinnati Enquirer
·3 min read

The Metro bus driver involved in a fatal crash in January that killed an 87-year-old woman while she was crossing the street has been charged with aggravated vehicular homicide.

Five first-degree misdemeanor charges against Deon Willis were filed Tuesday in Hamilton County Municipal Court, court records show.

Willis was operating a Metro bus on the afternoon of Jan. 11 eastbound on Dana Avenue near the border of Hyde Park and Evanston, according to the crash report. He turned right on Duck Creek Road and struck Beverly Kinney, who was crossing the intersection in a marked crosswalk with the walk signal.

Beverly Kinney was a long-time teacher at Princeton City Schools and patron of the arts. She was killed Jan. 11 after being struck by the driver of a Cincinnati Metro bus while in a crosswalk on the border of Hyde Park and Evanston. She was 87.
Beverly Kinney was a long-time teacher at Princeton City Schools and patron of the arts. She was killed Jan. 11 after being struck by the driver of a Cincinnati Metro bus while in a crosswalk on the border of Hyde Park and Evanston. She was 87.

Cincinnati police said the 87-year-old Kinney, who was a longtime educator at Princeton City Schools, suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The crash report also said that at the time of the collision, Willis was driving with a suspended license. Metro released a statement on Jan. 16 saying the transit authority didn't know the driver was operating the bus on a suspended license.

Prior to this collision, Willis had been involved in two accidents while driving a Metro bus that were determined to be his fault, according to his personnel file.

In 2018, he ran a red light and struck another vehicle at Winchell Avenue and Findlay Street. For that, he received a written warning.

In 2022, he struck the front of another vehicle while making a left turn. He received a written warning for that as well.

During his initial training, Metro officials noted he was easily distracted and bad at multitasking, but the training reports show improvements over time.

Before the Jan. 11 crash, Willis had never received a suspension for any safety violation or accident.

"The Kinney family strongly believes Mr. Willis should be prosecuted to the fullest extent under Ohio law. Cincinnati Metro also bears responsibility for this since they put Mr. Willis in the position to recklessly kill Beverly Kinney − a longtime educator and pillar of the community − as she used a crosswalk during a casual afternoon stroll," Rex Elliott, attorney for Kinney's family, said in a statement. "Metro should never have let this man behind the wheel of a city bus, given Willis's terrible driving history and the fact that he put a 24-year-old in a wheelchair while driving a Metro bus before he killed this wonderful woman. Metro's conduct in allowing Willis to remain a Metro driver enabled him to kill Beverly Kinney."

Willis remains on paid leave while Metro's internal investigation takes place, according to Metro spokesperson Brandy Jones.

"We have received and are reviewing the results of the police investigation and the charges brought against Mr. Willis as part of our process to finalize our internal investigation. Due to pending litigation, we are not able to comment on any specifics related to the incident at this time," Jones said in a statement. "Our deepest sympathies go out to the Kinney family for the tragic loss of Mrs. Kinney."

Enquirer reporters Cameron Knight and Quinlan Bentley contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Metro bus driver charged after pedestrian dies in collision