Woman dies after being hit by VTA bus, was denied boarding for not wearing mask

SAN JOSE — A woman has died about two weeks after she was run over by a VTA bus that she was denied from boarding because she was not wearing a face mask, according to San Jose police.

The incident was reported at 5:53 p.m. Feb. 9 at the bus stop at Senter Road and Needles Drive. According to police, the woman was not allowed to board. The bus driver then began to pull away; at some point, the woman tripped and fell to the ground.

Moments later, the back wheels of the bus hit her, causing serious injuries. She died Monday. Wednesday, the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s Office identified her as 59-year-old Lucy Prieto Frescas, but did not have a listed city of residence for her.

It was not immediately clear how the woman fell, including whether she might have been holding onto the bus and lost her balance when the vehicle started moving.

“At this time, it is unknown what caused the female to trip and fall,” police said in a statement Wednesday.

The bus driver stopped at the scene. There was no indication from police that he was arrested or cited.

Police are treating the death as the city’s 17th traffic fatality of the year, and the ninth to involve a pedestrian who died. San Jose had recorded just five traffic deaths at the same point in 2021, a year that saw a 20-year peak of 60 roadway fatalities, and 2022 continues to be far ahead of that pace.

Anyone with information about the incident can contact SJPD traffic Detective Eliseo Malvido at 408-277-4654.

Check back later for updates to this story.