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NYPD: Tour Bus Driver Charged With Manslaughter, DWI After Running Over Pedestrian

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A Florida man driving a tour bus in New York City is facing charges after running over a pedestrian, police said.

Steve Drappel, 57, of West Palm Beach was arrested and charged with DWI and vehicular manslaughter.

Around midnight Sunday, police say they were called to a report of a pedestrian struck at 9th Avenue and 46th Street.

When they arrived, they found a man unconscious and severely injured underneath a Travel Lynx tour bus. Timothy White, a 29-year-old from Philadelphia, was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where he died.

"I saw him lying under the back wheel and he was moving, but then the cops made the bus driver move the bus back and then he died. They put a sheet over him," Ashley Fishner, an eyewitness, said.

Fishner added that White was dragged 100 feet before the bus stopped.

"It was horrible. I'm visiting New York City. This is my fourth day here and this is the second death I've seen," she said.

Police said the bus was carrying passengers, but none were injured.

Will this tragedy affect your view on riding tour buses? Leave a comment below…

(TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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