Don Williams lived his nickname – “Irie,” Rastafari for “feeling good.”
“He had so much love and energy,” his brother, Herb Williams, said Wednesday night as more than 100 family members and friends gathered in Westwood.
That’s where Don “Irie” Williams, 59, died the night before after being struck by a Metro bus.
Cincinnati police said a 30-year-old woman was driving a Metro bus near the Glenway Crossing Transit Center around 10:30 p.m. when she struck Williams.
Metro is conducting an internal investigation of the incident – its second pedestrian fatality of 2024 – as it cooperates with Cincinnati police’s investigation, Metro spokesperson Brandy Jones said in a statement.
“Based on a very preliminary review though, the gentleman appears to have staggered and fallen near the mid-section of the bus as it slowly pulled away from the station,” she said.
The driver is now on paid leave, standard in such investigations, Jones added.
‘He was the party’
Williams lived in Columbus and frequently traveled to Cincinnati and Lexington, his brother said.
The father of five had a cleaning business, loved to talk and would “give you the shirt off his back,” sister Terrietta Williams said.
He also loved to dance, especially to reggae music, brother Herb Williams said. “When he was there, he was the party.”
Family members said Don Williams was hit after banging on the side of the bus for entry.
Herb Williams believes the Metro driver – who the transit agency has yet to identify – was negligent in not stopping for him.
