Mrs Grace Mecaley was walking home after shopping on Walthamstow High Street on 15 December 2023 when she was struck by a double-decker bus. At around 5pm, Mrs Mecaley was crossing the road from Rose Bank Villas at an authorised pedestrian crossing. She was around two-thirds of the way across when a number 212 bus rounded the corner and struck her. Mrs Mecaley suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
An investigation by the HSE found that TfL had failed to ensure pedestrians and vehicles could circulate safely at the bus station. The crossing was positioned at the apex of a bend, where buses turned into the station. Its position and the angle at which buses approached meant drivers could turn towards the crossing without a clear view of its full length. The ‘red carpet’ crossing was intended to give pedestrians priority. However, the layout created ambiguity over right of way and increased the risk of a collision.
TfL’s failure to manage the risks at the crossing persisted for years. Despite a pedestrian being struck by a bus in similar circumstances in April 2022, TfL failed to risk assess the crossing. CCTV footage also captured five near misses in the two days before Mrs Mecaley was killed.
HSE’s investigation also found TfL had failed to adequately monitor bus drivers operating at the station.
Transport for London (TfL), pleaded guilty to a charge of breaching Regulation 17(1) of the Workplace Health, Safety, and Welfare Regulations 1992. TfL was fined £2 million and ordered to pay £5081 in costs.
Speaking at Westminster Magistrates’ Court HSE Inspector Laurence Goodacre said, “Our deepest sympathies remain with Grace’s family who are represented here today by her son. Grace was a vibrant member of her community and her loss will be deeply felt. Grace was simply walking home after shopping when she was struck and killed while using an authorised pedestrian crossing. TfL had a responsibility to keep pedestrians safe, but its failings meant Grace never made it home. Grace died just days before Christmas and her family will continue to feel that loss particularly deeply at what should be a happy time of year. I hope today’s sentence provides them with some measure of comfort, knowing that those responsible for her death have been held to account.”
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