DETROIT – A very special honor Friday for a DDOT driver who died at the height of the pandemic.
Jason Hargrove passed away from COVID-19 days after he got into an argument with a woman who was coughing on his bus without covering her mouth. He was very vocal about the seriousness of the pandemic, passengers being considerate and the safety of other drivers.
Friday, the City of Detroit announced that its newest transit center will be named after Hargrove.
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, along with city council members and DDOT leaders are making sure he will always be remembered.
“Thank you for your sacrifices and his sacrifices and I’m honored to see going forward when we’re seeing this transit center his name is going to be placed on that and we will never forget him and never forget his sacrifice,” said city councilman Fred Durhall III (District 7).
Detroit City Council approved the transit name with a unanimous vote. The only other person to have a transit center named after them in this city is Rosa Parks. Jason’s widow, Desha Johnson-Hargrove is honored.
“We as a family will always remember our loved ones but to know that his name is going to ring out forever to everyone else, I couldn’t ask for anything better,” said Johnson-Hargrove.
His six children and several grandchildren were already a major part of his legacy but now, this 52,000-square-foot transit hub will be too.
“He put that uniform on so proud and I’m so proud of him,” Johnson-Hargrove said.
Jason Hargrove was also honored with the Spirit of Detroit Award.
The Jason Hargrove Transit Center is expected to open May 2024. The state-of-the-art facility will feature, restrooms, retailers, food and will be for both SMART and DDOT riders. Construction started in 2023, for details on the project, click here.