London bus driver guilty over death of elderly pedestrian
London bus driver guilty over death of elderly pedestrian
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The driver of a double-decker bus has been found guilty after an 83-year-old woman was killed when she was run over as she crossed the road in south east London. Ozdemir Zia, 76, was turning onto Vincent Road next to Woolwich Arsenal station when he struck Edna McLean shortly after 10.30am on September 11 2021.
Zia, who is from Kidbrooke, was found guilty of causing her death by careless driving after an Old Bailey jury deliberated for five hours and 38 minutes on Monday. CCTV footage of the collision showed the elderly pedestrian being hit and members of the public rushing over to help as she lay on the road.
Mrs McLean suffered brain injuries and was airlifted to hospital but never regained consciousness and died two days later. The Old Bailey heard how another pedestrian listened to the bus hitting Mrs McLean and looked round to see her body travelling through the air.
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.
A pillar inside the bus also created a "blind spot" but the driver could have moved his head and upper body to look around it, he told jurors. Mr Holland had said the CCTV footage demonstrated the defendant's driving "fell below the standard expected of a reasonable, careful and competent driver".
