The mother of a child who was struck and killed by a city bus on Memorial Day has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Chicago Transit Authority.
The lawsuit was filed in Cook County Circuit Court by La’Tasha Upshaw. Her daughter was 19 months old when she died.
The lawsuit alleges that the driver was careless. The No. 6 Jackson Park Express bus hit the girl as she crossed South Shore Drive on May 26.
According to authorities, the girl had run into the street when the bus driver saw her. The driver attempted to swerve to avoid hitting the child but was not able to do so in time.
At a vigil held for the girl the day after the accident, Upshaw told reporters that she had left her daughter with neighbors while she retrieved the child’s bicycle.
Witnesses said that the girl was pinned under the bus. According to the medical examiner, she was pronounced dead at University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital.
The lawsuit alleges that the driver failed to maintain proper speed and did not properly swerve to avoid hitting the child. The lawsuit seeks at least $50,000 in damages, including reimbursement for medical and funeral expenses.