Woman dies after being hit by bus

A Nassau County bus struck and killed a female pedestrian in the Jamaica section of Queens Saturday night as the vehicle turned the corner, authorities said.

The woman wasn't identified, but police said she was 54.

The accident happened about 8 p.m. as the bus turned from Hillside Avenue onto Merrick Boulevard, said Andy Kraus, a spokesman for Nassau Inter-County Express, or NICE.

The bus that struck the pedestrian is the N6 line, which runs between Jamaica and Hempstead.

"According to preliminary information, a pedestrian was fatally injured when that person came in contact with the rear of the bus," Kraus said in a statement.

He said the bus was Jamaica-bound at the time of the crash, blocks from the end of its route. He did not know whether any passengers were aboard. He did not release the bus driver's name, but said he was required to undergo drug and alcohol testing.

The test results weren't immediately available, he said. Police said the driver is 52.

The Public Transportation Safety Board, a state agency that investigates these types of crashes, will inspect the bus, Kraus said.

A spokesman said its investigation was incomplete and no criminality was suspected.