SEATTLE — The parents of the young woman killed in a bus crash in Seattle's Belltown neighborhood say their daughter was taken too soon.
“She was so much more than what happened to her. She was a beautiful, bright light and she had so many plans to spread that brightness around the world. This was the world's loss, not just mine,” Eileen Taylor said about her daughter, 28-year-old Amanda Schneider.
Taylor said her daughter had plans to be a psychologist.
“It’s hard to think that her contribution to the world has been truncated, it’s gone, it’s been cut off,” said Taylor.
Taylor said the senseless death of her daughter highlights the need for more drug programs and mental health resources; exactly the field her daughter was trying to get into and help.
Amanda was killed while walking on a Seattle sidewalk right by her apartment 10 days ago. A King County Metro bus hit her after allegedly getting hit by 31-year-old Adam Abelson's vehicle. Police said he ran a red light before slamming into the bus.
“Did she feel pain? These are the thousands of questions that go through your mind. To pass away in such a manner through no responsibility of her own,” said Taylor.
“Part of me says, 'Why was he on the street to start with?'” said Amanda's father, Karl Schneider.
Abelson faces charges of operating a vehicle without a license, reckless driving and vehicular homicide. These aren't his first criminal charges. Court records show over the years, there were more than 50 warrants for his arrest. Karl said there needs to be more accountability.
“It’s not just him at fault," Karl said. "Our society is at fault, the City of Seattle Government is at fault here.”
Mayor Bruce Harrell's office said in a statement, "This was a tragic event and Mayor Harrell joins Amanda's family and friends in mourning her passing. Safety is our highest priority, and the City frequently reviews incidents to determine if there are adjustments that should be made that could prevent similar events in the future."
Meanwhile, Taylor said she finds herself watching old videos of her daughter ice skating.
“I don’t want any other mother to go through this,” she said.
But she hasn't given up, she'll be at every court date.
"You can't have justice for this," she said. "My daughter has been stolen. There is no justice sufficient.”
“She was a very sweet person, everybody loved her who got to know her," Karl remembers.
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