Pedestrian struck and killed by transit bus

AVENTURA, Fla. (WSVN) -- A South Florida family is grieving the loss of their loved one after she was struck in the street.

Miami-Dade Police said a transit bus hit Barbara Rubenstein, 84, near Northeast 199th Street and 29th Avenue, just after 6 p.m. Thursday. Rubenstein's son-in-law said she was walking home from Publix when the accident happened.

Marsha Sultan, the victim's daughter, said she was doing something she did almost every single day: buying groceries. They lived nearby the supermarket and would often cross the street for groceries. But Thursday, on the way back, she would not make it back home alive.

Her groceries were left scattered on the street. "I talked to my mom. I was going to pick her up," said Sultan. "She said, 'No, I'll walk.' All right, mom. I put the phone away. I didn't want to argue."

She had done the walk many times before. Her daughter was waiting for her to return, and then: "We saw the ambulance, and that's how we found out."

Medics rushed her to Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood where she later died.

Sultan said the crosswalk light does not last long enough to allow elderly residents to cross the street. "It should be a little longer, and also the turn around it is longer."

Rubenstein was from Chicago and spent the winters in South Florida. Sultan said she was full of life. "Loved sports. We couldn't call her until intermission."

Police continue to investigate, but so far no charges have been filed against the bus driver.

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