Bus driver was driving dangerously when he caused fatal bus crash
An elderly bus driver was driving dangerously when he caused a fatal bus crash, a court has ruled.
Two people died when the former Mayor of Leamington Spa, Kailash Chander, mistook the accelerator for the brake before the smash in Coventry.
Chander, who is now 80, was diagnosed with dementia after his vehicle ploughed into the side of a Sainsbury's supermarket in October 2015.
He was deemed medically unfit to stand trial, and today Birmingham Crown Court ruled he was driving dangerously at the time.
Pedestrian Dora Hancox, 76, and seven-year-old passenger Rowan Fitzgerald died in the crash which happened on Trinity Street.
Rowan, who was sitting at the front of the upper deck, died of a head injury while Mrs Hancox died from multiple injuries after being hit by the bus and a falling lamppost.
Speaking after the verdict, Rowan's family said nothing 'would ever stop the hurt' and called for bus driving regulations to be reviewed.
They said: "The court findings today gives us no satisfaction, no sentence would ever stop the hurt that we feel for the loss of Rowan.
"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."
A six-day trial at Birmingham Crown Court was told Chander had been warned about his 'erratic' driving by bus company Midland Red after four crashes in the previous three years.
Chander had worked for more than 70 hours in the week leading up to the accident, which saw him drive 'full throttle' for more than 80 metres.
Investigating officer Sergeant Alan Wood, from West Midlands Police, supported Rowan's family's call for a legal review of GB Domestic Rules for bus drivers.
He said: "We know that the conclusions can give little satisfaction to Dora and Rowan’s families.
"His employers, Midland Red South, have rightly pleaded guilty for their failure to manage their staff appropriately and place people as risk. However, it should not be forgotten that with any driver getting behind a wheel, it is their personal responsibility to know they are fit to do so and their responsibility to drive appropriately.
"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.
"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."
Midland Red South pleaded guilty to health and safety law breaches and face an unlimited fine.
Chander's hearing also ruled the former Mayor of Leamington Spa caused serious injury to two of his passengers. He may face a supervision order at a hearing in November.