NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A WeGo Public Bus driver is standing up for her colleagues after she was assaulted by a passenger.
“We are afraid to step out and say something because we don’t want to lose our jobs," WeGo bus driver Sheryl Utley said.
For seven years, Sheryl Utley has worked for WeGo. On the morning of Jan. 18, 2022, near Gallatin Avenue and Broadmoor Drive, she asked passenger Jason Turner to wear a mask. She said he became unruly.
She remembers him throwing it on the ground and becoming angry.
"He caught me off guard and he swung around the Plexiglass that they had for safety for Covid. He punched me in my left eye," Utley said.
She snapped a photo of Turner when he finally got off her bus. She wanted to call the police but said the company’s policy was to call a supervisor.
"I was out there from 6:45 or 6:49 when the incident happened. She didn’t let me know she didn’t call the police until 7:05," Utley explained.
Utley thinks her supervisors didn’t react quickly enough.
"When I told her that he threatened to kill me five times before punching me in the eye and threatened to kill me five more times. I should’ve called the police, but I was trained to call my superior and let them handle that," Utley said.
A WeGo spokesperson wouldn’t comment on Utley’s case, but did send the following statement:
"Operator and passenger safety is a top priority at WeGo Public Transit. For our operators, we provide safety training as well as advanced electronic equipment to report emergencies. Metro Nashville Police Department is notified. Operation and safety supervisors respond to the scene and consequently file a report. All incidents, complaints, and concerns are investigated by the Safety Department in conjunction with the Operations Department. Investigators have cameras and GIS tracking technology to assist in the examination of incidents."
They report in 2022 there were 15 reports of operator assaults. In 2023, there were 10 reports of pperator assaults. WeGo provides an average of 29,000 rides per day on weekdays.
Utley thinks it’s happening more than what’s being reported.
"We get assaulted verbally. They spit on us and hit us. They do everything you know."
The incidents occur so often, that WeGo employees have their own social media accounts where they share encounters with passengers.
Just last week a WeGo Bus driver was punched multiple times in the face.
The suspect then picked up a large blunt object and threw it at the window, damaging the glass. The suspect took off.
It's hard for Utley to watch and hear these stories because she still suffers from PTSD.
"This girl threatened to kill this man on his job. We are trying to work. That’s not okay," Utley said.
She hopes that sharing the reality behind the wheel will bring more protection. "We got to come up with something so my coworkers can be safe," Utley said.
Charges were pressed against the passenger in Utley's case, but the DA’s office says the case was dismissed because he was deemed incompetent to stand trial because of mental illness.
All WeGo buses are equipped with cameras.
