3 days ago
Lawsuit against BART moves forward after woman fatally pushed into train
SAN FRANCISCO - A lawsuit against Bay Area Rapid Transit is moving forward, one year after a woman was killed when she was pushed into the path of an oncoming train.
What we know
The fatal incident occurred in July 2023 at the Powell Street Station in San Francisco.
Corazon Dandan, 74, was heading home after working a night shift as a telephone operator at the Hilton's Parc 55 Hotel in Union Square. She was on the BART platform when 49-year-old Trevor Belmont allegedly shoved her into an approaching train, according to prosecutors.
Dandan was shoved so hard that her head struck the train before she fell back onto the platform.
Belmont, who had previously been banned from BART for fare evasion, was charged with murder and the special circumstance of lying in wait.
No motive for the attack has been disclosed.
He has been arrested 27 times across the Bay Area over the past two decades.
A wrongful death lawsuit filed by Dandan's nephew and six siblings claims BART failed to make its platforms safe for riders.
"These failures in safety are a longstanding issue," the lawsuit states. "BART has repeatedly failed to make its stations safe for its riders, whether through increased safety staffing or physical security features."
Dandan's family previously said the fatality should not have happened.
"Something's got to change," her nephew, Dr. Alvin Dandan, said. "I wish that my aunt's death not be in vain. I wish that we can rebuild this city to what it once was."
BART has not responded to KTVU's request for comment.
The Source
Pritzker Levine LLP, previous reporting.
