76-year-old London bus driver guilty over death of elderly pedestrian
76-year-old London bus driver guilty over death of elderly pedestrian
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CCTV footage was shown in court showing the collision with the elderly pedestrian. The driver of a double-decker bus has been found guilty over the death of an 83-year-old woman who was run over as she crossed the road. Ozdemir Zia, 76, was turning onto Vincent Road next to Woolwich Arsenal station, south-east London, when he hit Edna McLean at 10.31am on September 11 2021.
On Monday, Zia, of Kidbrooke, south-east London, was found guilty of causing her death by careless driving after an Old Bailey jury deliberated for five hours and 38 minutes. CCTV footage was shown in court showing the collision with the elderly pedestrian and members of the public rushing over to help as she lay on the road.
The court had heard how another pedestrian heard the noise of the bus hitting Mrs McLean and looked round to see her body travelling through the air. Mrs McLean suffered brain injuries and was airlifted to hospital but never regained consciousness and died two days later.
When he was spoken to by police at the scene, Zia said he had not seen Mrs McLean until immediately before the collision and then applied the brakes. He added that people do not always look before crossing the road, prosecutor Nadeem Holland had said. Traffic collision experts concluded the driver began turning into Vincent Road while his view was obscured by another bus, Mr Holland said.
