MTA Bus Driver Charged After Pedestrian Killed on Staten Island
Police said MTA driver Darrell Sweet left after hitting 69-year-old Patrick Varriale with a bus on Platinum Avenue; Varriale died at the scene.
What We Know
Patrick Varriale, 69, was killed early May 13, 2022, on Platinum Avenue in Staten Island. The city crash record lists one pedestrian killed and a bus driver making a left turn. The Daily News, citing police, reported that MTA driver Darrell Sweet was driving a SIM10 bus from Forest Hill Road onto Platinum Avenue when he hit Varriale, then left the scene. Police arrested Sweet after a three-week investigation and charged him with driving away following the fatal incident. The article reported that he was released without bail after arraignment and removed from duty without pay pending discipline.
A left turn before dawn ended in a fatal pedestrian crash
The city crash record says the crash happened at 4:39 a.m. on May 13, 2022, on Platinum Avenue, where one pedestrian was killed and no other injuries were recorded. The record lists a bus traveling north and making a left turn, with impact at the left front bumper.
The Daily News, citing police, reported a slightly earlier time of about 4:35 a.m. and said Darrell Sweet, driving an MTA SIM10 bus east on Forest Hill Road, turned left onto Platinum Avenue and hit Patrick Varriale as Varriale was crossing. The official record describes the pedestrian as crossing with the signal and places him away from an intersection, while the police account reported by the Daily News says he was crossing at the intersection.
Patrick Varriale died at the scene
Patrick Varriale was 69 and lived about a quarter mile from the crash site, the Daily News reported. The article said he was survived by his wife, son and two grandchildren and had worked for many years at the American Federation of Musicians offices in Midtown.
Police charged the driver after a three-week investigation
Police arrested Darrell Sweet, 52, and charged him with driving away after the fatal incident, the Daily News reported. The article said court documents stated Sweet did not stop or report the crash and quoted him telling police, “I should have stopped.”
The Daily News reported that Sweet was released without bail after arraignment in Staten Island Criminal Court. MTA officials said Sweet, a 15-year veteran, was removed from duty without pay pending a predisciplinary suspension.
Where
Platinum Ave