A Phoenix woman was on her way to work last spring when she was struck and dragged under a city bus, killing her. Now her 20-year-old son is suing the driver.
Salvador Velazquez and his attorney filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Transdev Services Inc. and the driver Ana Rivas in Maricopa County Superior Court alleging negligent hiring and training practices.
In May, a Valley Metro bus struck and killed Angelica Davila as she crossed eastbound on the south side of the 59th Avenue and West Van Buren Street intersection. Velazquez learned of his mother’s crash after recognizing her phone in news article photo, he said.
The lawsuit claims Rivas should not have been hired as a driver for Transdev, which contracts with Phoenix to operate a Valley
Metro bus, because of three separate charges for driving.
Jonathan O’Steen, the attorney representing Velazquez, questioned whether Transdev properly investigated Rivas’s driving history.
“It’s a public safety issue for everybody who uses our roadways. Not just the thousands who ride Valley Metro buses on a daily basis but everybody who’s out on the road, whether it be a pedestrian like Angelica or somebody operating a vehicle,” O’Steen said.
Mischa Wanek-Libman, a spokesperson for Transdev, declined to comment and did not answer whether the company still employed Rivas.
Phoenix has contracted with Transdev since 2007 and renewed its contract in June 2025 for five years. The contract’s estimated value was $375 million, the company announced at the time.
Transdev U.S. manages daily operations and maintenance for over 160 vehicles with a team of more than 530 employees at the Phoenix Transit West Facility, the news release said at the time.
Lawsuit cites history of driving offenses
The lawsuit claimed Rivas “routinely and habitually operates motor vehicles with a wanton disregard for the rights, health, and safety of other motorists.”
It cited three separate charges for driving, including in 2006 when she was found guilty of driving on a suspended license upon making an unsafe lane change, the claim stated. The court ordered her license suspended for 12 months, the document read.
In 2012, she was cited for going 83 mph in a 65-mph zone on SR 101 on a suspended license, the claim said.
Again in 2017, she was arrested for driving on a suspended license and for an outstanding warrant in Phoenix, the lawsuit stated.
Following the investigation, Phoenix police charged Rivas with causing death by a moving violation, a class 1 misdemeanor. Court records showed she pleaded guilty to the charge.
Arizona state law says that for a first violation, a person’s license can be suspended or restricted for at least 180 days but not more than one year if it results in a death.
O’Steen, the family’s lawyer, said he was not aware of Rivas’s sentencing.
Velazquez, Davila’s son, after learning of the driver’s history, said he hoped Rivas wouldn’t be allowed to operate large vehicles and put “other pedestrians and other drivers at risk.”
Davila was headed to work
Davila’s car had broken down not long before the collision in May, her son said.
On occasion she’d take a ride to work from her kids or a coworker, but “she was trying not to be a burden,” so she’d use the city bus, Velazquez said.
She worked as a property manager for the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry.
On May 28, Davila, making her way to work, stood at the intersection of 59th Avenue and West Van Buren Street and waited for the crosswalk sign to change, the complaint said.
Inside a Valley Metro bus, Rivas sat in the driver’s seat.
Davila “waited patiently at the intersection” and stepped into the marked crosswalk, the complaint said.
As Davila crossed the road, Rivas made a right turn while she focused her attention on the left, the complaint said.
Court documents stated Davila was pulled under the bus and dragged across the asphalt. Rivas continued driving for seven more seconds after colliding with Davila, the document stated.
“Rivas remained inside the bus and did not check on Angelica for at least 37 seconds after impact,” the document stated.
The driver reported the crash to Transdev, who then called 911 to ask for paramedics.
A Phoenix fire dispatcher asked the Transdev employee for details of the scene to determine if first responders would need mechanical extraction equipment to lift the bus, according to 911 audio obtained by The Arizona Republic.
The Transdev employee responded, saying that Rivas didn’t know and that she was not going to check because she was shaken up, according to the 911 call.
Phoenix police officers arrived at the scene at 4:45 a.m. and found the woman “unresponsive and pinned under the front of the bus,” according to initial reports.
Family learned of Davila’s death hours later
When Davila didn’t show up to work, officers were dispatched to make a welfare check as part of the state prison’s protocol, Velazquez said.
His sister told them her mother wasn’t home and called Velazquez.
He said he knew something was “not right” and it was unlike his mom not go to work. Velazquez took off work, drove his usual route and saw the bus and caution tape. At first, he didn’t correlate the scene with his mom. Later, he saw a news article photo about the accident, and he recognized his mom’s phone in the picture.
“At that point, I knew it was her and a few hours later we got a call letting us know,” he said.
Velazquez said he and his family depended on her a lot. She was the main caregiver to his grandparents, such as helping set up doctor appointments.
Davila was always focused on helping others, he said.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Wrongful death lawsuit claims Phoenix bus driver had troubling record
