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Rowan Fitzgerald, 7, died after bus driver was driving dangerously, court rules

Rowan Fitzgerald

A BUS driver was driving dangerously when he was involved in a collision that resulted in the death of two people, a court has ruled.

Rowan Fitzgerald, 7, was a passenger on the bus when it crashed into a Sainsbury’s supermarket in Coventry on Saturday, October 3, 2015.

The football fan, who played for Leamington Hibs, was returning with his grandfather, uncle and young cousin having been to watch Coventry City.

Pedestrian Dora Hancox, 76, died when she was hit by the bus and a falling lamppost.

Dora Hancox

Following a trial of facts at Birmingham Crown Court in England, a jury ruled that Kailash Chander, 80, from Coventry was driving dangerously when the collision occurred.

Unfit to stand trial

Chander had been charged with two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and two charges of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

However he was found unfit to stand trial on medical grounds after being diagnosed with dementia following the crash.

Kailash Chander

Chander, who was 77 at the time of the crash, had retired from his position as a bus driver at the age of 65, but was immediately taken on as a casual driver.

He had worked an average of 75 hours per week in the three weeks preceding the day of the incident.

According to Rowan Fitzgerald

“This is completely ridiculous that HGV drivers, who only carry goods and not people have tighter working regulations governed by tachographs, whereas it appears a 77-year-old carrying up to 70 people on a double decker bus is allowed to do ridiculously lengthy hours when suffering the early stages of dementia.

“We don’t want the reasons why Rowan and Dora died to be forgotten, we want to see something positive come from this and at this time we feel this will only come from a change in law on bus drivers’ age and hours of work.

“This would prevent anyone having to go through what we have gone through over the last three years.

“We will be talking to our local MP and asking for this to be addressed for changes in the law.”

Investigating officer Sergeant Alan Wood, from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, echoed the family’s sentiments.

“I know that that the families of Rowan and Dora cannot comprehend how a 77-year-old man could legally work a 75-hour week driving public service vehicles,” he said.

“I have to agree with their observations; common sense would say this cannot be right and it would appear a legal review of GB Domestic Rules for bus drivers hours is wholly appropriate.”

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