Pedestrian Struck And Killed By Commuter Bus On Roadside Is ID'd

MIDDLETOWN, NY— The pedestrian who died after being struck by a commuter bus has been identified by authorities.

On Monday, at 5:56 a.m, Middletown police received a 911 call that a pedestrian had been struck on Wickham Avenue, at the intersection of Fairlawn Avenue. The caller reported that the pedestrian was gravely injured, with bystanders already performing CPR.

The pedestrian was lying in the eastbound lane of Wickham Avenue, with a Coach USA commuter bus stopped alongside of him, in the westbound lane, when police arrived. The bus was occupied only by the driver, who remained on scene and fully cooperated with officers, according to officials.

The pedestrian was rushed to Garnet Health Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

The Middletown Police Department's Detective Division opened an investigation into the incident, assisted by the New York State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit and the Commercial Enforcement Unit.

The coach bus had an onboard dash camera which was operational and captured the collision. At this time, there are no charges pending against the driver of the bus, according to police. The bus was towed from the accident scene for a full inspection.

The pedestrian has been identified as Rickey Melvin, of the City of Middletown. The 67-year-old was reportedly homeless, and had been staying at several different locations in the local area over the past several weeks. Melvin was physically disabled, which substantially limited the speed at which he could walk. He was also wearing dark-colored clothing, which appears to have been a significant contributing factor to the collision.

The investigation into the incident is ongoing. Anyone who witnessed the accident is asked to contact the Middletown Police Department's Detective Division at 845-343-3152.