Horror moment bus driver hits and kills woman crossing road after he looked down for 3 seconds to read scrap of paper
A BUS driver hit and killed a women crossing a road after he looked down for three seconds to read a scrap of paper.
Simon Mumford, 54, failed to see Amallia Elmasry while driving his single-decker bus around Plymouth just after 6.20pm on January 7.
Footage shows his bus heading towards a pedestrian crossing, where the traffic lights were red.
He had a piece of paper in his hand and was seen on CCTV lowering his glasses, looking down and reading it for four seconds.
While his head was down, the lights changed from red to amber and Amallia started to cross.
The front of Mumford’s bus struck her and she suffered “catastrophic” injuries.
Mumford immediately stopped the bus but Amallia was pronounced dead at the scene.
Plymouth man Mumford has been jailed for two years over Amallia’s death.
He was sentenced at Plymouth Crown Court yesterday after pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving.
Mumford was also disqualified from driving for six years and must sit an extended retest before he regains his licence.
Police sergeant Samantha Pullen said: “This tragic case again demonstrates that even relatively brief periods of distraction on the road can have fatal consequences.
“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.
“This led to the collision that resulted in her tragic death. We’d like to express our sincere condolences to Mrs Elmasry’s family.
“We remind motorists that regardless of what vehicle they drive, they must remain focused on the road at all times to ensure the safety of themselves and others.”
Mumford had been driving his single-decker City Bus around Plymouth, making various stops.
His final stop was at Plymouth train station before he reached the pedestrian crossing where Amallia was killed.