This one has me minded to reach for the cluebat:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,172-2097961,00.html
Emilie Harris, 20, was crushed under the wheels of the single decker
bus after she was knocked off her mountain bike two years ago in
Oxford city centre.
Ms Harris, a first-year student of human sciences at St Catherine’s
College, died instantly.
The inquest was told that the driver, Paul Willis, 47, was chatting to
colleague Henry Stuart who was standing on a platform at the front of
the bus seconds before the student was killed.
Richard Whittington, the assistant deputy coroner for Oxford, said
that Mr Willis had broken drivers’ regulations by having someone on
the platform at the front of the bus.
Police Constable Stephen Moffat, who investigated the incident, said
Mr Willis had been travelling too fast and too close to Emilie.
He said that although the bus had been travelling at under 25mph at
the time of the incident, he should have been doing the same speed as
Emilie’s cycle, which was believed to have been travelling at 8mph.
“He had not given himself any margin for error,” he said. “I think he
should have been travelling at the same speed as Emilie. He should
have weighed up what was ahead of him.”
Witnesses told the inquest how they had heard a “thud” shortly before
the bus ran over her body.
CCTV images taken from the bus showed Emilie cycling in front of the
bus two seconds before she was run over.
Emilie, who was wearing a crash helmet, was wearing flip-flops on the
day of the incident in May 2004, which may have contributed to her
falling off the bike, the inquest was told.
Recording a verdict of accidental death Dr Whittington said that
having his colleague on the platform next to him must have been a
distraction to the driver.
But he added: “Whether Mr Stuart [his colleague] actually obstructed
the vision forwards is unlikely but his presence there must have been
a distraction.”
“There is no question of Emilie’s death being caused by dangerous
driving, this is sadly an accident.
“For some reason she had lost control of her bike. It has been
suggested her flip-flops could have been the reason, or she panicked
because she heard the sound of the bus or she might have looked back.
I do not think the bike was in an upright position at the time of the
accident.”
A spokesman for the Oxford Bus Company said after the inquest: “Ever
since the tragic accident our thoughts have been with Emilie’s parents
and family. They continue to have our deepest sympathy. We cannot
comment further at this stage as a court case involving the driver is
still active and until that is finished our own inquiry into the
incident and any possible disciplinary action can not be concluded.”
Police said after the inquest that court proceedings against Mr Willis
would now resume.
He is charged with careless driving and breaching public service
vehicle regulations. His colleague who was on the bus at the time,
Henry Stuart, faces the latter charge.
Emilie’s parents Martin and Judy Harris, both 52 and from Shawford,
Hampshire, attended the inquest but made no comment afterwards.
Guy
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May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk
85% of helmet statistics are made up, 69% of them at CHS, Puget Sound