S48 Bus Driver Fatally Hit Leton Meyers on Forest Avenue
A 43-year-old bus driver heading east on Forest Avenue killed 72-year-old Leton Meyers after Meyers fell into the roadway near Veltman Avenue, police said.
What We Know
Official crash records place the crash a little after 4 PM on May 15, 2026, on Forest Avenue in Staten Island and record a 72-year-old male pedestrian killed. Police told the Daily News that Leton Meyers fell into the roadway near Veltman Avenue and was hit by the driver of an eastbound S48 bus. Official crash records classify the vehicle as a school bus, while police described it as an MTA S48 bus. Police said the 43-year-old driver continued east, then stopped after being told about the crash; he was not arrested.
Official Crash Data
Collision ID
4900041
Date
May 15, 2026
Time
4:17 p.m.
Location
Forest Ave
Fatalities
1
Pedestrians killed
1
Vehicles listed
Bus, School Bus
Meyers fell into the roadway before the fatal impact
Police told the Daily News that Leton Meyers was on Forest Avenue near Veltman Avenue when he fell into the roadway on Friday afternoon. A driver of an eastbound S48 bus then hit him, according to the police account reported by the paper.
The official crash record lists the collision at 4:17 p.m. on Forest Avenue and records a 72-year-old male pedestrian as killed.
The crash happened near Forest and Veltman avenues
The Daily News placed the crash on Forest Avenue near Veltman Avenue in Port Richmond, close to a Stop & Shop where Meyers had been doing a routine grocery run. His daughter told the paper that he lived in West Brighton and was more than two miles from home.
Leton Meyers was remembered by family
The Daily News identified the pedestrian as Leton Meyers, 72. His daughter, Samantha Meyers, told the paper that he likely became disoriented after the grocery trip and that there was no indication of intoxication.
The paper reported that Meyers was an immigrant from Belize who left behind two children and a grandchild. His family started a GoFundMe to help cover funeral expenses.
Records and news accounts describe the bus differently
The Daily News described the bus as an MTA S48 traveling east on Forest Avenue. The official vehicle record also lists eastbound travel and a 2022 Nova Bus, but its vehicle-type field says School Bus.
The official record says the driver was starting in traffic and lists one occupant. It identifies the right rear quarter panel as the point of impact and records no vehicle damage.
The driver stopped after being informed, police said
Police told the Daily News that the 43-year-old bus driver continued east after the collision but stopped after being informed of the crash. The driver was not arrested.
The Daily News reported that Meyers died at the scene. The city medical examiner's office ruled his cause of death blunt-force trauma to the head and classified the death as an accident.