Late Bonanza Star Michael Landon’s Grandson Dies After Mysteriously Being Hit By Bus — Family Wants Answers

The late Michael Landon‘s grandson was tragically hit and killed by a public transit bus in August — but is there more to this story than meets the eye?

The daughter of the Bonanza star, Shawna Landon, is speaking out after the loss of her son, Dylan Lupia. On August 17 around 7:30 p.m., he was hit by a Los Angeles Metro bus heading westbound on Palos Verdes Boulevard. The coroner’s office reportedly didn’t inform her of her son’s passing until later that evening when she was getting ready to watch a movie with her daughters. So sad.

You can see a picture of her holding her son as a baby (below):

Our heart breaks for her!!

Shawna explained to PageSix on Wednesday the bus driver said they didn’t see her son when driving down the lane he was allegedly walking in:

“Dylan was walking in the bus lane toward the bus. The bus driver claimed that he thought the bus had been vandalized and he didn’t see anyone.”

But later when visiting the site of the accident with her sister, she realized something wasn’t right:

“There were no blind corners. It was complete daylight. There was no way this bus driver couldn’t have seen my son walking toward him with his eyes on the road. My son is 6’1 and 170 pounds walking in the bike lane toward him. My sister said to me, ‘Shawna, this is impossible.’”

And even more of a horrific twist — Dylan’s mom later learned the bus driver didn’t even stop after hitting him!

“He went to the next bus stop, about 1.6 miles away from where he hit Dylan, and called into Metro saying that he thinks the bus was vandalized.”

How could the bus driver allegedly hit something as large as a person then claim his bus was vandalized? On top of that, it’s Metro protocol to stop the bus immediately if you believe it’s vandalized. So why wasn’t the bus stopped before it drove another nearly two miles? Something doesn’t add up…

Related: The True Story Of How Angela Lansbury Saved Her Daughter From The Manson Family

According to the grief-stricken parent, she’s gotten word another passenger was on the bus when the driver struck Lupia — but so far they haven’t come forward:

“We don’t know anything about this passenger. All we know is that this bus driver did not follow policies and procedures and get any information from this passenger. It doesn’t make sense. And for this guy to not have stopped and call 911 … If he was looking in his rearview, which he would have, if something glass shattered and [made] an impact like that, you would look in your rearview mirror, you would see my son lying on the road.”

Just heartbreaking, he was only 24 years old. And even more gut-wrenching, Landon believes her son was in the area to reminisce — as it’s the same area where his grandmother lived before she passed in 2015:

“He definitely had his struggles. He was on the spectrum. He was high-functioning. It was hard for him to hold jobs down and to keep relationships. He lost his father when he was 5 to a drug overdose, so he’s been through a lot. He did the best he could, and he did struggle … My mom lived near there. She passed in 2015, and they were extremely close,” she reveals. “So I think he was up there probably to go and just reminisce.”

The Little House On The Prairie actor’s daughter wants to bring to light the mysterious circumstances of Dylan’s death not only to get justice for her son — but to open a conversation surrounding past and potential future bus accidents. She says being in relation to the Joe Cartwright portrayer is helping her story get told:

“I can’t imagine the number of people that have been hit by bus drivers and they keep going. I’m sure there are homeless people that have been hit and no one has claimed their bodies. They don’t have a voice. Believe me, I know I’m not special. I’m not an idiot. I know why [I’m getting press attention]. It’s because of my dad. But I can’t imagine all those other people who don’t have a voice.”

As of last week, the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department said the investigation is still ongoing as they wait for a report from the coroner — a criminal case has not yet been ruled out. Meanwhile, LA Metro said in a statement on Wednesday to the outlet they are working closely with law enforcement to get to the bottom of what happened. They also urge anyone with information on this incident or others to report it:

“Safety is the top priority at Metro. We ask for the public’s help in providing any information they may have regarding this accident. Anyone who might have been in the area with relevant information should please call LASD at 323-563-5000. Transit riders can also anonymously report information on this incident or others by calling 888-950-SAFE (7233).”

Meanwhile, the realtor also hopes to get some answers as to what happened to her child and urges anyone with information to contact Detective Schloegl at 310-891-0515 or her attorney Robert Barta at 310-479-1454 or rbarta@bartatate.com. 

Our hearts go out to Shawna and her loved ones as they mourn this great loss. May Dylan rest in peace and get the justice he deserves.

[Image via NBC/Instagram/Shawna Landon/YouTube/ABC7]

The post Late <i>Bonanza</i> Star Michael Landon's Grandson Dies After Mysteriously Being Hit By Bus -- Family Wants Answers appeared first on Perez Hilton.