IN LINE OF FIRE
Bus driver dies of coronavirus days after posting Facebook video rant about coughing passengers
A DETROIT bus driver has died of coronavirus after criticising passengers for failing to cover their mouths when they coughed.
Jason Hargrove, 50, posted a video to Facebook on March 21 after a woman boarded his bus and began openly coughing.
⚠️ Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates
2
2
He fell ill just days later and died on Wednesday night.
The video came after the city introduced new safety measures after protests from drivers about the risks they were facing amid the epidemic.
The city had waived all fares, told passengers to board or leave buses from the rear doors, and pledged that buses would be more thoroughly cleaned.
In the clip, Hargrove is seen saying: "This coronavirus s**t is for real.
"We out here as public workers doing our job, trying to make an honest living, to take care of our families.
CORONAVIRUS CRISIS - STAY IN THE KNOW
Don't miss the latest news and figures - and essential advice for you and your family.
To receive The Sun's Coronavirus newsletter in your inbox every tea time, sign up here.
To follow us on Facebook, simply 'Like' our Coronavirus page.
Get Britain's best-selling newspaper delivered to your smartphone or tablet each day - find out more.
“For you to get on the bus… and cough several times without covering up your mouth and you know that we in the middle of a pandemic, that lets me know that some folks don’t care.
"There's folks dying out here because of this s**t.
“At some point in time we’ve got to draw the line and say enough is enough. I feel violated."
Droplets from coughs and sneezes can carry the virus and travel a number of metres through the air.
Detroit mayor Mike Duggan urged “everybody in America” to watch Hargrove's clip.
“Some of his language is graphic, but I don’t know how you can watch it and not tear up.
"He knew his life was being put in jeopardy… by someone who didn’t take this seriously and now he’s gone.”
MOST READ IN US NEWS
Duggan added that he thought Hargrove had been infected before the additional safety measures were introduced, but that police would now be more aggressive with people flouting social distancing guidelines.
The coronavirus has now infected more than one million people globally and killed at least 54,000 since first breaking out in December.
