Bus driver guilty over death of elderly pedestrian

A bus driver who knocked over and killed an 83-year-old woman as she crossed the road has been found guilty of causing death by careless driving.

Ozdemir Zia, 76, was turning into Vincent Road next to Woolwich Arsenal station, south-east London, when he hit Edna McLean on 11 September 2021.

CCTV footage was shown at his Old Bailey trial of the collision with the pedestrian 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 after the crash. Zia will be sentenced on 14 March.

Prosecutor Nadeem Holland said the CCTV footage demonstrated the defendant's driving "fell below the standard expected of a reasonable, careful and competent driver".

He told jurors: "The defendant did not take sufficient steps to cater for the possibility of pedestrians crossing Vincent Road as he turned into the road."

He said that although the defendant was not speeding, he should have travelled more slowly to give him extra time for the manoeuvre.

Mr Holland told the court that traffic collision experts concluded that Zia began turning into Vincent Road while his view was obscured by another bus.

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.

Zia, of Kidbrooke, south-east London, told police he had not seen Mrs McLean until immediately before the collision and then applied the brakes.

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