Bus driver who ran over and killed mother and daughter escapes with £1,000 fine

Road safety campaigners have called for the charge of 'careless driving' to be scrapped after magistrates said they were powerless to give 53-year old John Scott a tougher punishment.

Scott knocked down Jenny Webb, 83 and her 53-year old daughter Jean as one of them was trying to wave down his vehicle at a bus stop.

Both women had been regular passengers on the 288 Arriva service in Knutsford, Cheshire, and were spotted by passengers as they made a dash for the vehicle.

But Scott pulled away from the stop as the women walked in front to get on board, claiming he did not see them.

Police examine the bus following the crash which killed Jenny Webb and her daughter Jean

Both women were crushed under the wheels and died at the scene as 12 passengers on board - mainly local schoolchildren - watched in horror.

The tragedy was witnessed by Mrs Webb's son Brian, 56, who was walking at the back of the bus.

At Macclesfield Magistrates Court, Scott, of Gawsworth Road, Sale, was also banned from driving for nine months after admitting careless driving.

After the case, a spokesman for road safety charity Brake said: "The charge of careless driving should be scrapped. It is careless to spill a pint of milk, but driving in a way that is anything other than safe, and in line with the Highway Code, can only be described as dangerous or bad driving.

"If someone is seriously injured or killed by a bad driver, they should be charged with a charge that reflects the consequences of that bad driving and has a significant penalty.

"The charge of careless driving when a serious injury or death has occurred causes great offence to the injured victims and their families, who frequently view it as a trivial charge, adding extreme insult to injury."

The court heard how widow Mrs Webb, a retired hospital worker, shared her home with Jean and Brian who both suffer from learning difficulties.

In a statement, her son Derek said: "My mother helped elderly neighbours but never asked for help herself - even though she had arthritis in her knees.

"They led a simple life but they were very happy and had a lot of friends in the area. Nobody could ask for a better mother than Jenny.'"

The tragedy, in March last year, happened as Mrs Webb and her daughter, a part-time cleaner were taking Brian to a dentist appointment.

Scott, who has been driving buses for 20 years, was driving a bus filled with mainly pupils from Knutsford High School in Cheshire when he pulled up at a stop to pick up more passengers.

Prosecuting Ms Kate Marchuk said: "As the bus approached the stop, witnesses saw a group of three people on the opposite side of the road - a male and two females - one was an elderly woman and the other in her 50s.

"The passengers on the bus recognised the group as being frequent passengers on the bus. The witnesses describe the ladies trying to attract the attention of the bus driver - one of them was waving.

"The witnesses state that they were intending to cross the road and get on the bus. The driver stopped at the bus stop.

"The witnesses describe the group crossing the road and the male was walking towards the rear of the bus while the ladies were crossing approaching the middle point of the bus and walking along the side towards the front of the bus.

"One of the passengers getting off the bus immediately tried to get the attention of the driver - he had seen the two ladies towards the front of the bus heading towards the pavement.

"But the bus driver collided with the two ladies and witnesses reported hearing a female scream and the bus coming to a stop.

"This is a careless driving case, which has had terrible consequences."

Mrs Webb and her daughter died from multiple injuries.

Scott later said he seen the two women and recognised them as regular users of the bus but whilst he had seen Brian approaching the bus he did not spot the two women crossing in front and assumed they were going elsewhere.

In mitigation, Richard Thomas, defending, said his client has since given up his job as a bus driver.

The court also heard Scott's daughter was fighting for her life in hospital after being knocked down by a car several weeks ago.

He added: "Mr Scott would like, through me, to offer his condolences to the family of Mrs and Miss Webb as he has not had the chance to do that personally.

"His driving prior to this was perfectly fine. No one suggests that he was driving erratically.

"He didn't see the two ladies and he says if he had have done he would've stopped. He accepts that he should have seen them but he didn't."

Sentencing, Chair of the Magistrates bench Leslie Robinson said: "The family and friends of these two women have our sincere condolences. Nothing we can do today can in any way compensate them for their terrible loss.

"The powers of this court are limited to a fine and withdrawal of licence."