Rolling bus 'trapped and killed' father, 54

A father-of-three died after getting crushed between a bus and a crash barrier in the Black Country, inquest jurors heard.

Retired plumber Donald Hunter, of Broadwell Road, Oldbury, died of multiple injuries at West Bromwich Bus Station on January 12, 2007 after he was trapped trying to get to a bus.

The 54-year-old was crushed when the Diamond bus driven by 67-year-old Alan Willis, of West Bromwich, started rolling forwards.

The inquest at Smethwick Council House yesterday was told that the hand-brake had been on but the bus still rolled away.

Mr Hunter who was divorced and had three children was trying to board another bus, a Travel West Midlands 402 service driven by Mr Gurinder Singh, of Windmill Lane, Smethwick. That bus had double parked next to the Diamond bus, the hearing was told. People were therefore forced to walk in front of the Diamond service.

The jury heard it was against company policy for drivers to double park and they should instead wait in a designated area until there is space.

However, Mr Singh had said he had no alternative but to double park as he did not have time to do anything else and added he had never done it before.

Bus driver Mr Baldev Singh, of Hydes Road, West Bromwich, who witnessed the collision, said: "Some passengers had already boarded the Travel West Midlands bus. There were about four passengers in front of me, I was the last one.

"As I stepped on the Tarmac the Diamond bus started rolling forwards. There were two people who were right in front of me, it started crushing those two people, I jumped back, cut my left leg and jumped on to the barrier to protect myself. People were screaming 'stop the bus, stop the bus'." The jury also heard from former traffic officer Paul Sheldon who read out an interview with Mr Willis who admitted he had not been wearing the glasses he was required to wear while driving during the accident.

In interview Mr Willis had said: "Suddenly my bus revved and pulled away, my handbrake was still on, my lever was in neutral, but it had fallen into gear."

By Lisa Wright