Road safety review after bus crash death of mum-of-three on the Greenwich Peninsula

Amanda Coppen, who lived in Holly Court off John Harrison Way and was originally from Sidcup, died at the scene after trying to cross West Parkside and Pilot Busway at about 7am on January 4.

On Friday, South London Coroner’s Court heard the road could potentially be confusing as it looks like a dual carriageway but is actually two separate roads, each with two lanes of traffic.

In statements read out in court, passengers who were on the rush hour Route 472 bus described seeing a figure step out in the middle of the road.

Lucy Chester said: “She stepped out in the road, she took two to three steps and then looked at the bus.

“I thought, ‘that was close, we’re going to have to break or we will hit her’. And then we hit her.”

The accident happened in West Parkside on the Greenwich Peninsula.

Alexandra Meiu was on her way to work when the accident happened.

She said: “The bus pulled away and out of nowhere somebody appeared, I saw the person hit by the bus, it was really dark there.

“The bus went over the person and came to a stop, the lady driver got out of the cab and she fainted.”

Passenger Lauren Baker said: “She was looking straight forward, I screamed as I realised what was going to happen.

“The driver tried to get out of the cab but fell to the floor.”

Arthur Tanoh, who was also a passenger on the bus, said: “The person did not look at all before crossing, she must have been distracted or something.”

Off-duty police officer Ben Rumney was travelling back from a night shift on the morning of the accident.

Appearing in court, he said: “Just to the left of the bus I could see a glimpse of a black figure, I believe she was on her mobile phone, within a second she was struck by the bus, making contact with the windscreen.”

He added: “We took a look around the bus and I could see that the female was under the bus, I could see the female’s leg poking out from under the bus.”

Tributes left at the scene of the accident.

Evidence submitted by forensic collisions investigator Charlie Baker of the bus CCTV footage shows Ms Coppen was looking the wrong way as she crossed the road.

The coroner will write to Transport for London, the Greater London Authority and the traffic authority at Greenwich Council, which share responsibility for the road, to recommend safety improvements are made.

Some measures have already been made to improve the safety following the accident, the court heard, such as introducing a 20mph speed limit.

In a statement from the victim’s sister Linda Coppen the court heard that Ms Coppen enjoyed working as an attendance officer at a nearby school and had done a lot of charity work.

Coroner Philip Barlow said: “She was a very dedicated employee at her school, she was looking forward to the new term and enjoyed working with the children that she did.”

The coroner recorded a conclusion of death by road traffic accident.