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Man is killed after bus hits tram in town centre
Simon Kirby8 Sep 2008
A man was killed and two others seriously injured after a bus hit a tram, catapulting the double decker 100 yards through a town centre.
The bus smashed into a row of shopfronts after the collision and then came to a stop when it hit a parked car. One man in his twenties who was walking down George Street in Croydon died instantly.
The accident at 10am on Sunday is one of the worst crashes involving a bus or tram in recent years.
Two men were taken to hospital in serious condition, one with a head injury and the other with an injured back. Four others were hurt but their injuries are not life-threatening.
Both the bus and tram drivers were among those injured, the rest were thought to be passengers.
Police described the aftermath of the crash as "horrific".
Witnesses said the bus careered into the tram after it swerved to avoid a car and claimed that the death toll would have been much higher had the accident happened on a weekday or during shopping hours.
It is understood the out-of-control bus was able travel so far as the driver was knocked unconscious in the initial impact, which also derailed the tram.
Police said they would investigate reports that traffic lights at the intersection where the two vehicles hit had failed and were stuck on green.
Croydon police Inspector Phil Mockett said emergency services were at the scene within seconds: "It was quite horrific for the officers first on the scene.
"A bus and tram collided with each other. The bus then hit a vehicle that was parked in George Street. There was one person that was dead at the scene and there were another six injured in total." Business owner Dave Steiert, 52, described hearing the force of the impact.
He said: "I heard the bizarre crunching noise and looked out of the second floor window to see a bus moving at about five miles per hour shunting a car in front of it."
"It is quite fortunate it didn't happen on another day of the week as the carnage would have been awful.
"This street is normally packed with shoppers between Monday and Saturday," he added
Police have yet to formally identify the victim and notify his next of kin.
A Transport for London spokesman said: "Following a collision involving a route 468 bus and a tram on George Street, Croydon, a person has been killed.
"Our deepest sympathies are with the family and friends of the person who died and those who were injured."
Reader views (2)
Consoldences to Jeevan Sivalingam.
- Mathini, London, 26/01/2009 09:52
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The young man who died was a medical student at Imperial University and was about to start his fourth year. Who is going to be held responsible for this young man's death and indeed for the crash ?
- Dipak Amin, london,England, 18/09/2008 14:33
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