Elderly man run over by bus in Coventry city centre

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An elderly man has been run over by a bus in Coventry city centre.



Part of the city centre has been closed after a serious accident, which happened at the junction of Corporation St and Burges at about 12.30pm .

Police and ambulance crews are on the scene which is where a new road ''shared space'' lay-out has been created.

It appears the victim is an elderly man.

Police closed both roads and diverted traffic as a result of the accident.

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “A man in his seventies had numerous serious injuries to his arms and legs including a broken leg which was straightened and splinted by crews at the scene.

"He also had a fractured and dislocated shoulder, a head injury and a suspected fractured pelvis.

“He was given pain relief at the scene and was immobilised with the use of a spinal board and neck collar.

"Accompanied by the air ambulance doctor, the man was taken by land ambulance to University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire whose trauma team had been put on alert for his arrival.”

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Man dies weeks after bus collision in Coventry

An elderly man has died in hospital after being hit by a bus in Coventry last month.

The 71-year-old pedestrian was injured around 12:30 GMT on 10 January when he was struck on Hales Street.

He was taken to hospital with serious injuries but died almost five weeks later on Sunday.

He is not being named at this stage and West Midlands Police is appealing for anyone who witnessed the incident to contact them.

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Family of Coventry OAP killed in "shared space" accident calls for junctions to be axed

David Thompson, of Briscoe Road, Holbrooks, was negotiating the new type of junctions – without traffic lights or road signs – for the first time when he was hurt on January 10.

His injuries were so severe he spent more than a month in the critical care unit at University Hospital. They included a shattered pelvis, broken leg, broken arm and dislocated shoulder.

Surgeons even amputated the 71-year-old’s leg to give him a better chance of pulling through.

But on Sunday afternoon the former Morris Engines employee died.

Nephew John Thompson, 42, said: “It was the first time he had been into town since Christmas.

“He walked those streets almost every day but this was the first time he had ever come across these new junctions.

“What makes me so angry is that not only did he go through the agony of the collision itself he suffered for five weeks with appalling injuries.

“Nobody deserves to go through pain like that and if there had been traffic lights installed it wouldn’t have happened.

“He was old school, he never cried or moaned, but you could tell he was in incredible pain.”

David, who was partially sighted, lived with sister Gloria Thompson, 64, all his life.

The pair were so close people sometimes mistook them for husband and wife.

On the day of the accident, David was planning to visit friends at The Buzz amusement arcade, just a few metres away from the “shared space” junction in Hales Street.

It was the first time he had gone into the city centre after a bout of flu over the festive period.

“He loved it at The Buzz,” Gloria said. “Everyone knew him. He was known as grandad."

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I honestly fear the worst about these "shared" spaces

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Bus driver charged over OAP's death on Coventry shared space junction

A BUS driver is to be prosecuted following the death of a pensioner who was knocked down on a controversial shared space junction in Coventry.

Craig Robinson, aged 44, has been charged with causing death by driving without due care and attention.

Robinson was behind the wheel of the single decker Stagecoach bus when it struck 71-year-old David Thompson in Coventry city centre during January.

David, of Briscoe Road, Holbrooks, who was partially sighted, had been crossing the road when the crash happened at about 12.25pm.

The OAP suffered a shattered pelvis, broken leg, broken arm and dislocated shoulder in the accident.

Surgeons also amputated his leg to give him a better chance of survival but he died in hospital after spending a month in the critical care unit.

The incident happened in Hales Street on January 10.

West Midlands Crown Prosecution Service confirmed Robinson had been charged with one count of causing death by driving without due care and attention.

Graham Hubbard, sector crown prosecutor from the CPS, said: “Following a fatal road traffic accident which occurred on 10 January 2012 on Hales Street, Coventry, which resulted in the death of David Thompson, I have advised officers from West Midlands Police that there is sufficient evidence and that it is in the public interest to charge Craig Robinson, aged 44, with one count of causing death by driving without due care and attention.”

Traffic lights were removed from the junction in November last year to create a new style of crossing in the city centre - designed to make the roads safer.

Since the incident Coventry City Council highways officers have insisted the ‘shared spaces’ are safe but in March they agreed to carry out a review and make some small changes to improve safety around the junctions.

These changes included flashing signs to remind motorists of the 20mph speed limit and extra training for disabled and visually impaired people using the city centre.

Robinson will make his first appearance before Coventry Magistrates Court next month.

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Bus driver denies causing death of pensioner on shared space in Coventry

A BUS driver has denied causing the death of a pensioner in an accident on a new ‘‘shared space’’ junction in Coventry.

At Coventry Crown Court yesterday, Craig Robinson, aged 44, pleaded not guilty to causing death by careless driving.

Robinson, of Lichfield Close, New Arley, was driving a single decker Stagecoach bus when it struck 71-year-old David Thompson in Coventry city centre on January 10.

Mr Thompson, of Briscoe Road, Holbrooks, suffered a shattered pelvis, broken leg, broken arms and dislocated shoulder in the accident at the Hales Street/Burges junction.

Surgeons amputated his leg to try and give him a better chance of survival but he died in hospital after spending a month in the critical care unit.

Robinson will go on trial in January next year.

Traffic lights were taken away from the junction in November last year to create a new road layout.

Campaigners have called for ‘‘shared space’’ junctions to be removed, claiming they are too dangerous.

Council bosses refute this and say the junctions will stay.

At yesterday’s hearing defence barrister Tony Cross said he had requested a report from Coventry City Council on the history of the junction and expert advice on driving a bus along that stretch of road.

Judge Philip Griffith-Jones said: “It is that difference between someone making a mistake or falling short of impeccable driving and driving carelessly.

“It is perhaps what a jury has to decide but it does seem very hard.”

Judge Griffith-Jones added there was no availability for trial at Coventry Crown Court until early next year.

He granted Robinson unconditional bail until his trial on January 28 next year.

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Bus driver cleared of Coventry 'shared space' junction pensioner death



A BUS driver has been cleared of causing the death of a pensioner in an accident at a “confusing” new junction in Coventry city centre.

A 71-year-old pedestrian died weeks after being knocked down as he crossed the road at a spot where traffic lights had been removed.

The trial of Craig Robinson, aged 45, of Lichfield Close, New Arley, was opened yesterday morning - but hours later Mr Robinson was formally acquitted of the charge.

Stagecoach driver Craig Robinson, aged 45, of Lichfield Close, New Arley, had denied causing death by careless driving.

Robinson was behind the wheel of a single decker bus, travelling from Nuneaton, when it struck 71-year-old David Thompson at a ‘‘shared space’’ junction in Hales Street last January.

Mr Thompson, of Holbrooks, who was partially sighted, suffered multiple injuries and died in hospital a month later.

He had gone into the city centre to run some shopping errands on January 10 last year.

Rebecca Brankin, one of the passengers, who was sitting at the front of the bus, spoke about confusion at the new junction.

She said: “People don’t know where to cross or which direction traffic is coming in.”

She described how she rushed to help Mr Thompson.

The Warwick University student said: “It was only when I heard a loud thud at the side of the bus I realised the man crossing the road had actually been hit.

“Myself and some of the passengers ran to the front of the bus. I told the bus driver he had hit someone. He seemed very shocked. I had to ask him to open the doors. He was just in absolute shock by what I had told him.''

She fought back her tears as the jury watched CCTV footage of her leap out of her seat.

She added: “I was the first person to attend to Mr Thompson. I ran to him and tried to support him at that time. Mr Thompson was halfway underneath the bus. There were two other people who offered their help. One was a student nurse the other was an actual nurse. There were a lot of people watching.

“I had seen him crossing the road but at no point was I concerned that the man could have been hit by the bus.’’