Identity released of man killed by SEPTA bus while walking with wife in Philadelphia

According to investigators, the couple was attempting to cross Front Street in the crosswalk when they were hit by the bus.

SEPTA bus

A SEPTA bus on Lombard Street in Philadelphia on Nov. 8, 2024. (Meir Rinde/Billy Penn)

This story originally appeared on 6abc.

A man is dead and his wife is injured after they were struck by a Route 64 SEPTA bus on Friday night.

It happened just before 7 p.m. at Front Street and Washington Avenue in the city’s Queen Village neighborhood.

According to investigators, the couple was attempting to cross Front Street in the crosswalk when they were hit by the bus that was making a westbound turn from Front Street onto Washington Avenue.

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A 35-year-old man was dragged under the bus, police said. Officers attempted to provide life-saving measures but they were unsuccessful. On Saturday, Philadelphia police identified him as Michael Spooner.

“With the help of I believe the victim’s wife, they removed him from under the bus and the sergeant did CPR but was unable to bring him back,” said Lt. Gregory Brown with Philadelphia police’s Crash Investigation Division.

The victim’s 29-year-old wife was taken to Temple University Hospital in stable condition.

“Our hearts go out to everyone who is impacted by this tragic incident. SEPTA is committed to fully assisting Philadelphia Police in the accident investigation. SEPTA’s System Safety Division is also conducting its own examination of the incident,” said SEPTA in a statement to Action News.

“The safety of the riders and communities we serve is our top priority. We are committed to full transparency with the public as we learn more from the System Safety investigation,” the statement continued.

It’s still unclear how many people were on the bus at the time of the crash.

Police said officers are reviewing surveillance video in hopes of learning more about what happened.

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