Jacksonville, FL — As investigations continue into a fatal incident involving a Jacksonville Transportation Authority bus in the Mayport Village-area, documents are shedding new light on the operator JTA says was behind the wheel.
WOKV first told you Monday, that JTA moved to fire that driver, citing violations of their Operator Work Rules. JTA then further disclosed the specific violations early Tuesday.Â
Now, WOKV has obtained the driver's personnel file, revealing he's actually been fired before. JTA says it was for ‘conduct unbecoming.’
According to that file, the driver had been terminated for an incident that occurred on December 20, 2018. A JTA notice of personnel policy violation/record of conversation form shows the driver was accused of nearly running over a supervisor's foot. The document says the supervisor had wanted to talk with him about running early, but claims he became combative, and eventually drove off. The supervisor says if she hadn't moved, her foot would have been run over.
Other documents in the file show the violation leading to his termination was later reduced after the union filed a grievance, leading to a suspension instead. That allowed the driver to return back to work on January 22, 2019.
The file also shows some of the other issues he's been written up for.
That includes an April 2013 incident, where he was accused of a preventable accident involving a bicyclist. A JTA accident review form claims the driver made a left turn, but failed to see a bicyclist in the crosswalk. The form says he struck the bike and ran it over, without stopping.
The personnel file also shows seven complaints riders made against him in the past two years, but only two were validated. That included one complaint about his behavior, another about improper procedure when dropping off a passenger.
WOKV is choosing not to release the now-former bus driver's name, as he is currently not charged with criminal offenses.
