Family of 'cherished father' struck and killed by NJ Transit bus plans legal action

The lives of the Miller family changed forever one cold January morning when Jordan Miller was struck and killed by an NJ Transit bus while crossing the street in Fort Lee to head to work. Now they're planning on suing the agency.

On Tuesday, Lynch Law Firm said the family of Jordan Miller served NJ Transit a notice of claim, pointing to its responsibility in Miller's death. Miller, 56, was struck by a bus on Jan. 10 at 5:09 a.m. while crossing Bridge Plaza South and Lemoine Avenue.

The bus turned left and struck Miller, who had life-threatening injuries and required CPR. He was taken to Englewood Hospital before being pronounced dead. Miller had been on his way to work as a customer service representative for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Miller's son, Jack Miller, said his father loved his job and was "very social and cheery," which made it the perfect job for him. He said his father would often come home and tell him stories of his work.

Miller was a brother of actor Jason Patric, son of playwright Jason Miller and grandson of actor Jackie Gleason.

The bus driver, who was not injured, was issued summonses for the "careless and illegal left turn," the law firm said.

NJ Transit declined to comment on the pending litigation.

James Lynch, the family's attorney, said surveillance footage from inside the bus showed that the driver's left-hand turn was too tight and crossed over the double yellow line. He said it "likely prevented [the driver] from properly observing a pedestrian clearly in his view."

Because it is a government agency, NJ Transit has six months to evaluate the claim and decide whether to settle, Lynch said. Should the agency not settle, he said, the firm would file the lawsuit sometime in September.

The lawyer said the crash was "a senseless tragedy that should have never happened."

"Miller’s family is beyond devastated by the untimely passing of their cherished father at the hands of a commercial motorist who was at the wheel of a large bus, driving dangerously and completely negligently," Lynch said.

Jack Miller described his father as an avid runner who competed in multiple New York City marathons, loved to be active and was a big Broncos fan.

He said his father's death has been difficult for the entire family. He said his grandmother shouldn't have had to bury her son and that his mother had to bury her soulmate and life partner of 32 years.

"It's just been a complete shock and a piece ripped out of all of us," Jack Miller said.

He said he tries to keep his father's memory alive, enjoying activities they did together, like watching "Scarface."

"Most of the stuff I enjoy, most of the stuff I do, was because of him," Jack Miller said. "So I just try and wake up and live life to the fullest. I know that's exactly what he'd want, and that's exactly what he did."

Lynch said NJ Transit should be held accountable for the driver's "reckless operation" and that the transportation agency has failed to train its drivers properly.

"With nearly 270 million passengers annually, the state must implement and enforce elevated driver training and safety practices to ensure the lives of riders and pedestrians alike are not at risk of danger by careless operators," he said.

Lynch said NJ Transit's driver training is a problem, as are outdated technologies. He said his own vehicle has technology that indicates when pedestrians are near the vehicle.

"I would expect that buses that are in busy areas that are near people would have technology like this or be working on getting it in there," he said.

Lynch said he and the Miller family want to make Fort Lee and New Jersey a safer place.

The suit will seek damages for medical bills, funeral expenses and lost income and to support Miller's family, in addition to his suffering.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Fort Lee NJ crash victim's family plans legal action