BALTIMORE, MD — Baltimore police arrested a Maryland Transit Administration bus driver Monday in connection with a pedestrian crash that left a woman injured earlier this month. Officers served Curtis Collick, 63, of Baltimore, with a warrant on charges tied to leaving the scene of the accident, not providing required information and failing to render reasonable assistance to an injured person.
The MTA confirmed that Collick is one of its bus drivers and said he has worked for the agency for 22 years. The arrest came after video circulated showing a man in what appeared to be an MTA vest checking his vehicle before driving away after the collision.
Woman was struck while crossing at Charles and Fayette streets
According to police and the pedestrian involved, the crash happened Sept. 3 at the intersection of Charles and Fayette streets. Riah Luby said the vehicle made a left turn onto Fayette Street and hit her while she was in the crosswalk.
She said the impact knocked her to the ground. Luby described the moment as frightening and said she was left in shock after the collision. The crash became a public concern after video of the incident began drawing attention, showing the driver stepping out, looking at the vehicle and then leaving the area.
Video showed the driver checking the car before leaving the scene
Luby said the video was especially upsetting because it appeared to show the driver focusing on possible damage to his own vehicle before driving away. She said she was frustrated to watch someone decide she seemed to be all right and then leave without helping.
The footage also captured what appeared to be an MTA vest, which added to the scrutiny surrounding the case. That detail raised questions about whether the driver worked for the transit agency, something the MTA later confirmed. Baltimore police have been leading the investigation into the crash and the driver’s actions afterward.
Bystanders rushed to help after the collision
Although the driver left, other people at the scene moved quickly to help Luby. She said several bystanders came over right away, including the driver of the car behind the one that hit her.
Someone called 911 and police filed a report. Luby was taken to a hospital for treatment after the crash. Her injuries included scrapes to her wrist and elbow, which she said bled heavily enough to leave her shaken and upset.
Luby says she is recovering but still angry about what happened
Luby said she is recovering from the injuries, but the experience has stayed with her. She said her reaction turned from shock to anger as she watched the video and realized the driver had left without stopping to help.
She also said the possibility that the driver was an MTA employee made the incident even more troubling. Luby said she hoped the agency would cooperate in identifying the man involved, adding that it would be upsetting if a transit worker were the one who struck her and then drove away.
MTA says it is helping Baltimore police investigate
The MTA said it is assisting with the investigation, which remains under Baltimore police control. The agency has not publicly detailed any internal action beyond confirming that Collick is an employee who has been with the transit system for more than two decades.
Police charged Collick with failure to stop vehicle at the scene of an accident, failure to provide required information and failure to render reasonable assistance to an injured person. The case centers on what happened in the crosswalk, who was behind the wheel and why the driver left after the woman was struck.