Bus crash 'like a bomb', court hears

7:11pm Tuesday 13th May 2008

A woman who saw her mum die and her two-year-old daughter lose her lower right leg in a bus crash likened the moment to being hit by a bomb, a court has heard.

A 65-year-old grandmother, 35-year-old mum and young daughter were involved in the family tragedy in North Worple Way, Mortlake, on April 25 last year.

None can be named for legal reasons.

Driver of the 209 bus, Ismail Ahmed, of Southall, denies causing death by dangerous driving and two counts of grievous bodily harm.

His trial began at Kingston Crown Court yesterday.

The mum told the jury she was on the pavement and had bent down to pick something up when she saw the bus coming towards her.

She said: "I don't know where it came from.

"It was like a bomb had hit.

"I was behind the barrier and I was squashed against the barrier with my left leg up and my right leg under the bus."

The mum said she saw her mother fall and continued: "I said mummy don't die'.

"Are you all right? Are you all right?'"

The court heard how the mum saw that her toddler's right leg was "like a purple balloon with her foot hanging off it".

Doctors battled to save the youngster's leg but had to amputate it below the knee.

The mum has a permanent scar on her lower left leg.

She also has bruising on her left buttock and scarring.

She added: "I think to mount the kerb and hit us with such a ferocious manner, I have always anticipated for the bus to be moving from stationary to 60mph."

Wayne Cleaver, prosecuting, said: "This was not a tragic but unavoidable accident, but rather a collision caused by the dangerous manner of the defendant's driving."

Mr Cleaver said the 290 was blocking the road as it waited to gain entry into the busy bus depot and he told jurors they would hear witness accounts describing shouting, car horns sounding and Ahmed waving his arms and shouting at other drivers in the depot.

The trial continues.

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