A 60-year-old Nigerian bus driver, Olisofa Popoola, was on Monday March 20 2023 arraigned in a UK court over the death of a pedestrian in London.
Popoola was driving an electric 507 single decker bus when he crashed into another bus outside Victoria Station in London, causing the death of 32-year-old Melissa Burr.
Jurors heard that Popoola was trying to move his vehicle forward when he unintentionally pressed the accelerator instead of brake, and crashed into the back of another 507 bus which was waiting to pick up passengers outside the railway station.
Instead of stopping the bus, he continued driving forward even after hitting the other vehicle. Sadly, Ms. Burr was crossing the road at the time of the crash and was knocked down before getting crushed under the vehicle.
It was gathered that the driver of the second bus, Diana Mathuranayagam, was flung from her vehicle and suffered a badly fractured eye socket.
The tragic crash happened around 8.25am on 10 August 2021, when Burr, from Rainham, Kent, was crossing the road with two colleagues.
Following the crash, Popoola told the police, “My foot slipped off the brake and onto the accelerator and I have collided with the bus in front.”
According to Prosecutor Alexander Williams, Popoola admitted responsibility for the crash but claims it was due to careless rather than dangerous driving.
Meanwhile, the trial is still ongoing and no judgement has been given yet.
