Former Bus Driver Jailed for Pedestrian’s Death

Simon Mumford, a 54-year-old former bus driver from Plymouth, residing at Ladysmith Road, has been sentenced to two years in prison. He admitted to causing death by dangerous driving, which resulted in the death of a pedestrian while he was on duty. Plymouth Crown Court was informed that in January, Mr. Mumford was seen on bus CCTV looking at a piece of paper and did not see Amallia Elmasry crossing the road ahead of him. Additionally, he received a six-year driving disqualification and is required to pass an extended retest to regain his licence. During the court proceedings, it was revealed that Mumford was operating a single-decker City Bus vehicle through the city centre on 7 January, at approximately 18:20 GMT. He was proceeding along Western Approach, approaching a pedestrian crossing controlled by traffic lights, which were red. At that moment, Mumford was holding a piece of paper and was captured on bus CCTV lowering his glasses, looking downwards, and reading the paper for a duration of four seconds. Consequently, he did not observe Mrs. Elmasry crossing the road directly in front of his vehicle during this period. The court was informed that Mrs. Elmasry began crossing the road as the traffic lights transitioned from red to amber. She was subsequently struck by Mumford’s bus and died at the scene. Following the hearing, Sgt Samantha Pullen, a member of the Devon and Cornwall Police’s serious collisions investigations team, commented that it was a “tragic case which again demonstrates that even relatively brief periods of distraction on the road can have fatal consequences”. Sgt Pullen stated: “There is no doubt Simon Mumford did not intend to take a life that day, but, by taking his eyes off the road to read the piece of paper, he did not spot Amallia Elmasry crossing, leading to the collision that resulted in her tragic death.” She added: “We’d like to express our sincere condolences to Mrs Elmasry’s family and remind motorists that regardless of what vehicle they drive, they must remain focussed on the road at all times to ensure the safety of themselves and others.”