A 65 year old man has died after he was hit by a bus when it mounted a pavement.
According to the BBC, the incident occurred in Albany Road, Walworth, South London and involved the number 42 bus. It happened at approximately 10.30am on 30th January 2010.
Mr Newell Lewis suffered multiple injuries and died at King’s College Hospital.
Police stated that the bus hit several items of street furniture before hitting Mr Lewis but they have appealed for further information regarding the incident, Metropolitan Police Sergeant Paul Sanders stating that the police “…still need to hear from anyone who saw what happened that day”.
In particular, he requested that anyone who was a passenger on the bus at the time of the incident come forward and contact officers.
It can be difficult for people who witness accidents such as this to come forward as reliving the incident can be a tough process. However, witness evidence can be vitally important in allowing the police to conduct a full investigation of the accident circumstances and enables the police to gain a complete perspective of what happened. It does appear that it is likely that the incident was the fault of the bus driver, but there may be mitigating reasons for the incident especially if he was off the road for a period of time as this report seems to indicate.
Witness input can help the police to decide whether or not to prosecute a person for their action. In some situations, a prosecution can be a very helpful aid as to who should be held responsible for an accident. If someone is prosecuted for their role in an accident then this will usually be taken in to consideration by an insurer in making their decision over whether to concede liability on behalf of their insured. Therefore, if you suffer an accident and it involves a bus, be sure to obtain details of the passengers so that you can contact them at a later date and get their version of events. It could be the difference between winning and losing your claim.
