The granddaughter of a woman from Tyneside who lost both legs after being dragged under the wheels of a double-decker bus says its driver has "destroyed my whole family".

Joan Scott, now 85, is "like a shell of what she was" following the crash on 19 September 2021, Sarah Scott said.

When she saw on social media that a woman with a walking stick had been involved in an incident in Wallsend, she knew it was her "grandma" and went straight to the scene.

"There were still fire engines and the bus was still there," Sarah said.

"There were hundreds of people videotaping."

Sarah added: "When we first got told she was going into surgery they said they would try their best to save her legs but at this point we didn't know one was amputated at the scene."

But neither of Joan's legs could be saved.

Now, nearly two years on, the driver of the bus, Scott Cliff, has been jailed for 27 months for causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

He said he had closed the doors on Joan because he thought she had tried to board before without a pass.

Cliff admitted the charge on the basis he did not know her stick was in the door when he pulled away, dragging her under the bus, and he would not have done so had he seen it.

Now, the family are calling for all drivers to show more compassion and consideration.

"He (Cliff) has shown no remorse whatsoever," Sarah said.

"I really hope he reflects about the decision he made that day. He destroyed my whole family."s

Joan spent a month in hospital before moving into a care home for six weeks and then back to her own home.

She had recently been diagnosed with the early stages of dementia, but the crash led to a rapid decline.

"She's like a shell of what she was," said Sarah.

"I go in and she really has to look at you before she realises who I am."
Sarah gave up her job to look after Joan but it "all got too much" and Joan had to move into a care home.

Lucy Straker, campaigns manager for the road safety charity, Brake, said five people die on the UK's roads each day and "every single crash is preventable".

"That's why we call on everyone to be as safe as possible every time we get behind the wheel, whatever vehicle we are using," she said.

"You can go into autopilot mode and it's easy to forget how devastatingly these crashes can happen.

"They happen in an instant and it's all about those decisions we make."

https://news.sky.com/story/granddaughter-of-woman-dragged-under-bus-joan-scott-says-driver-destroyed-her-whole-family-12930109

Simon Mason <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:

> https://news.sky.com/story/granddaughter-of-woman-dragged-under-bus-joan-scott-says-driver-destroyed-her-whole-family-12930109

Old news: Saturday 29 July 2023

Whatever makes you drag up this tragic story after this passage of time?
Some might say you are - to use your own words - a CALLOUS TWAT.

--
Spike

QUOTE: He said he had closed the doors on Joan because he thought she had tried to board before without a pass. ENDS

Did the 85 year old not look old enough to qualify for a bus pass?

Simon Mason <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> QUOTE: He said he had closed the doors on Joan because he thought she had
> tried to board before without a pass. ENDS
>
> Did the 85 year old not look old enough to qualify for a bus pass?

Still taking up other people’s tragedies?

--
Spike

QUOTE: Now, the family are calling for all drivers to show more compassion and consideration.ENDS

You're joking - if he hadn't been driving a bus, he'd have scarpered PDQ like hundreds of other hit and run merchants do every year.
I'm afraid "compassion and consideration" are not in most driver's handbook.

Simon Mason <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> QUOTE: Now, the family are calling for all drivers to show more
> compassion and consideration.ENDS
>
> You're joking - if he hadn't been driving a bus, he'd have scarpered PDQ
> like hundreds of other hit and run merchants do every year.
> I'm afraid "compassion and consideration" are not in most driver's handbook.
They have taken a leaf from the Little Red Book of TCCB.

--
Spike

QUOTE: The granddaughter of a woman from Tyneside who lost both legs after being dragged under the wheels of a double-decker bus says its driver has "destroyed my whole family".ENDS

That's what drivers do - destroy hundreds of INNOCENT people's lives EVERY DAY.

Simon Mason <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> QUOTE: The granddaughter of a woman from Tyneside who lost both legs
> after being dragged under the wheels of a double-decker bus says its
> driver has "destroyed my whole family".ENDS
>
> That's what drivers do - destroy hundreds of INNOCENT people's lives EVERY DAY.

Auriol Grey was minding her own business, walking to the shops, when a
pavement cyclist appeared…

--
Spike

QUOTE: Now, nearly two years on, the driver of the bus, Scott Cliff, has been jailed for 27 months for causing serious injury by dangerous driving.ENDS

Not really a proper sentence for the life he has ruined forever.

Simon Mason <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> QUOTE: Now, nearly two years on, the driver of the bus, Scott Cliff, has
> been jailed for 27 months for causing serious injury by dangerous driving.ENDS
>
> Not really a proper sentence for the life he has ruined forever.

So what would constitute a ‘proper sentence’?

You seem to be under the misapprehension that one should be sentenced for
the results of a crime rather than the crime itself.

--
Spike

QUOTE:There were hundreds of people videotaping." ENDS

Wrong on both counts. :-0

On 27/10/2023 03:07 am, Simon Mason wrote:

> QUOTE: Now, the family are calling for all chav-cyclists to show more compassion and consideration.ENDS
>
> You're joking - if he hadn't been driving a bus, he'd have scarpered PDQ like hundreds of other hit and run chav-cyclists do every year.
> I'm afraid "compassion and consideration" are not in most driver's handbook [sic].

Fixed some of it for you.

The last bit was too delicious to alter.

On 27/10/2023 09:29 am, Simon Mason wrote:

> QUOTE: The granddaughter of a woman from Tyneside who lost both legs after being dragged under the wheels of a double-decker bus says its driver has "destroyed my whole family".ENDS
>
> That's what drivers do - destroy hundreds of INNOCENT people's [sic] lives EVERY DAY.

You're getting funnier by the minute.

Would you like a link to "English Grammar and Syntax for Dummies"?

On Friday, October 27, 2023 at 2:16:02 PM UTC+1, Simon Mason wrote:
> QUOTE:There were hundreds of people videotaping." ENDS
>
> Wrong on both counts. :-0

Maybe they still use videotapes in Brexit loving North East towns?

Simon Mason <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:

> Maybe they still use videotapes in Brexit loving North East towns?

Video Tape Transfer to DVD or File. VHS, VHSc, Hi8, MiniDV, 8mm Camcorder
Video Conversion

<https://cineconversions.co.uk/video-tape-transfer-in-Hull.htm>

--
Spike

QUOTE: > Lucy Straker, campaigns manager for the road safety charity, Brake, said five people die on the UK's roads each day and "every single crash is preventable. ENDS

Ah but "Rhiannon" from SIXTEEN YEARS ago, or something.

Simon Mason <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> QUOTE: > Lucy Straker, campaigns manager for the road safety charity,
> Brake, said five people die on the UK's roads each day and "every single
> crash is preventable. ENDS

Then so are the ~20% of cyclist road deaths that involve no other vehicle.

What are the cycling groups doing about it, apart from sticking their heads
up their backsides.

> Ah but "Rhiannon" from SIXTEEN YEARS ago, or something.

Miscarriages of justice are like that. You’ll be hearing more about Auriol
Grey, as well. Keep an eye out for references to Sakine Cihan, too.

--
Spike

QUOTE: "You can go into autopilot mode and it's easy to forget how devastatingly these crashes can happen. ENDS

What the hell is "autopilot mode" in the world of car drivers?
Driving in a trance?

Simon Mason <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> QUOTE: "You can go into autopilot mode and it's easy to forget how
> devastatingly these crashes can happen. ENDS
>
> What the hell is "autopilot mode" in the world of car drivers?
> Driving in a trance?

I think you’re on to something there, because something must be causing
those ~20% of cyclist deaths arising from SVAs. Magic mushrooms? Home-brew
swilled in a garage pit? Heavy night at the pub?

--
Spike

QUOTE: Lucy Straker, campaigns manager for the road safety charity, Brake, said five people die on the UK's roads each day and "every single crash is preventable". ENDS

Don't forget the SEVENTY people seriously injured by drivers EVERY DAY as well.

On 28/10/2023 06:17 am, Simon Mason wrote:

> QUOTE: "You can go into autopilot mode and it's easy to forget how devastatingly these crashes can happen. ENDS
>
> What the hell is "autopilot mode" in the world of car drivers?

Good question. Put it to the person who is quoted as saying: "You can go
into autopilot mode and it's easy to forget..."

> Driving in a trance?

Any evidence for that?

On Saturday, October 28, 2023 at 11:53:12 AM UTC+1, Simon Mason wrote:
> QUOTE: Lucy Straker, campaigns manager for the road safety charity, Brake, said five people die on the UK's roads each day and "every single crash is preventable". ENDS
>
>
> Don't forget the SEVENTY people seriously injured by drivers EVERY DAY as well.

Goodness knows the vast number of slight injuries - must run into thousands..

Simon Mason <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Saturday, October 28, 2023 at 11:53:12 AM UTC+1, Simon Mason wrote:
>> QUOTE: Lucy Straker, campaigns manager for the road safety charity,
>> Brake, said five people die on the UK's roads each day and "every single
>> crash is preventable". ENDS
>>
>>
>> Don't forget the SEVENTY people seriously injured by drivers EVERY DAY as well.
>
> Goodness knows the vast number of slight injuries - must run into thousands.
When I started motorcycling, there were more than 20 road deaths a day from
5 million vehicles on the road.

Now it’s five a day from 40 million.

Your exercise for today: calculate the improvement in road safety over that
period.

--
Spike

QUOTE: Joan spent a month in hospital before moving into a care home for six weeks and then back to her own home. ENDS

I spent four months in hospital and even went to their Christmas party!