Old Coulsdon woman, 90, says bus driver left her after she broke her hip in fall on 466
A 90-YEAR-OLD volunteer who broke her hip after falling on a bus has spoken of her anger at the bus driver for driving away without properly checking on her.
Carmen Graham has had a hip replacement since falling on the bus and being helped on to the pavement by strangers.
Mrs Graham, from Old Coulsdon, is still attending physiotherapy and said this week: "He should have stopped and found out what happened to me; he should not have just left me."
Mrs Graham had ridden the 466 bus from the Tudor Rose in Old Coulsdon to Brighton Road, Purley, to work her regular volunteering shift at Oxfam.
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She says she fell over after the bus stopped in Brighton Road outside the Post Office and she got up to leave.
She said: "I would not think of standing up unless the bus had stopped. So I got up and I held the rail where they put the luggage.
"As soon I got up he jerked the bus backwards and forwards. I lost my grip and went down. My head was virtually level with where he was driving."
Mrs Graham was helped off the bus in November last year by three other passengers, but says she was shocked when the bus driver drove away without investigating whether she was OK.
She said: "The moment they got me on the pavement my leg went out from underneath me and he just drove away and left me on the pavement with three ladies.
"Even if he had to move the bus some reason, he must have known I had fallen [on the bus]."
Mrs Graham was taken to her GP surgery in Old Coulsdon by her daughter and referred to Croydon University Hospital.
Her left hip had to be replaced and she says the incident is seriously limiting her life.
She said: "I am fed up with walking like a cripple. I know I am 90 but nobody would think I am. At Oxfam, they say I never make a mistake.
"I cannot do anything I want to do; I mean I am handicapped in the house. I used to do every bit of work myself – I never had anybody do anything for me at all. Now I am asking my daughter."
Mrs Graham said she had complained to bus company Arriva and has been told her complaint has been forwarded to the claims department.
She added that nowadays she struggles to work up the courage to get back on the bus and to her volunteering work.
She said: "I have been volunteering for Oxfam 27 years in total. I just love it; I am at the till the whole time and I love talking to the people.
"There is a stool behind the till – once I get there I am fine."
Dave Jones, deputy head of customer service at bus company, Arriva, said he could not comment on the specific incident as there was a claim.
But he added: "We do expect our drivers to look after the welfare of the passengers and any incident will be fully investigated."
8 Comments
by roomster
Tuesday, March 12 2013, 3:47PM
“I'm sorry to hear this story however why did she leave the bus and the piece does not really make it clear whether the hip needed to be replaced as a result of a dramatic injury or wear and tear as with many hips in the elderly. I hope things go well for this lady.”
by johnfulden100
Tuesday, March 12 2013, 11:31AM
“those accidents happen to 90 year olds it most probably was nothing to do with the driver jerking the bus johnfulden100”
by RegentIII
Monday, March 11 2013, 6:37PM
“It would be very wrong to think that a bus driver would "deliberately jerk their buses round to unbalance passengers". Constant checks are made on the performance of every single bus driver by way of "mystery passengers", driving instructors making plain clothed, undercover assessments. Furthermore, every Croydon mobile is fitted with an onboard computer which monitors braking, accelaration and cornering every inch of every journey. This is downloaded to the garage computer via WiFi as soon as the vehicle is returned to base. Every driver is aware of all of these facts and also that their job would be at risk if they were to drive aggressively or dangerously.
Arriva and indeed all of the London bus companies have very strict policies in place regarding dangerous driving, which are fully supported by the Unions.”
by Mattch23
Monday, March 11 2013, 12:12PM
“CroydonLife - No worries, it's just coming from a force of habit that I've always had when using "of" and "have" which becomes more apparent when I'm trying to type out a post quite quickly.”
by CroydonLife
Monday, March 11 2013, 12:07PM
“Mattch23, stories in the newspapers are never complete and are often a bit disjointed to say the least. However, I hope you won't mind me pointing out that the value of your comments is let down a little by your all too common grammatical errors - well, just the one really, which is surprising considering most of your English is fine. It's not could OF or would OF or couldn't OF. It's could HAVE, would HAVE, couldn't HAVE, wouldn't HAVE. If only people would enunciate words correctly instead of lazily when they speak, it would be easier for everyone to learn and understand what is actually being said. Equally, if people thought about the meanings of the words they are using they might not make so many fundamental errors. The HAVE is a verb - a doing word. It's the same as if you said, "I HAVE been to the shops." You wouldn't say "I OF been to the shops", would you?”
by Mattch23
Monday, March 11 2013, 11:52AM
“Something doesn't sound right with this article.
As Much as I agree that the Driver should (and is required) to check on the injured passenger and call an ambulance if necessary, take the passengers details (and any witnesses) and then fill out the required paperwork upon returning to the Bus Garage.
"As soon I got up he jerked the bus backwards and forwards." I highly doubt this is the case, possibly the fact he hadn't fully stopped and on applying the Handbrake it Jerked forward slightly but wouldn't of "Jerked it backwards and forwards".
Secondly "The moment they got me on the pavement my leg went out from underneath me and he just drove away and left me on the pavement with three ladies."
Again, doubtful if she was taken off the bus via the Rear Doors then he wouldn't of been able to move at all until they had shut (opening the back doors knocks the gears out) so he couldn't of just "drove away". If you were taken off the front doors then I highly doubt he would of driven off as he would of seen you.”
by CroydonLife
Monday, March 11 2013, 10:11AM
“I'm quite convinced that some bus drivers deliberately jerk their buses around to unbalance passengers. The responsibility of driving a Public Service Vehicle must be so boring that they need such diversions to make their days bearable!
Thank goodness Mrs Graham is making a good recovery. My great aunt fell and broke her hip in her mid-80s and never recovered properly.”
by bagpus123
Monday, March 11 2013, 9:33AM
“The way they drive buses these days its no wonder she fell”