Dec. 05--A man was struck and killed by a CTA bus as he chased after it in the Austin neighborhood, banging on the side to get the driver to stop, authorities said.
A friend said he watched as Michael Switzer, 23, and his girlfriend walked up to the bus stop in the 5500 block of West North Avenue around 10:30 p.m. Thursday.
Antuann Kent, 42, said the woman got on the bus but the doors quickly closed before Switzer could get on and began heading east toward Pulaski Road.
"He was chasing the bus, hitting the side of it, telling the bus to stop,'' said Kent, who was across the street outside a Popeye's restaurant.
"He told her (the girlfriend) twice to get off the bus, and before I could go over and grab him, he slipped and fell and the bus ran him over," Kent said.
Kent said he rushed over and yelled to the driver to stop. "I ran over to the boy that was injured and he was not responsive. I called 911.''
Switzer suffered multiple injuries was was pronounced dead at 11:23 p.m. at Mount Sinai Hospital. The medical examiner's office listed the cause of death as "multiple injuries from bus striking pedestrian."
CTA spokesman Jeff Tolman said the accident involved an eastbound No. 72 bus. He would not answer any other questions, referring them to the police.
