A 25-year-old from New Zealand suffered a ‘catastrophic’ brain injury and died after being hit by a bus in Clapham just one month after moving to London, an inquest has heard.
Bradley Douglas died last October after being struck by a bus in St John’s Hill Road near Clapham Junction station as he returned to his girlfriend’s home following a night out.
An inquest has heard how Mr Douglas had left a bar where he had been drinking with friends, when he stepped into a road and was hit by the bus.
CCTV showed Mr Douglas stepping into the road as the bus turned a corner, Inner West London Coroner’s Court was told, according to Newsshopper.
Reading from a police report, coroner Jean Harkin told the court, as reported by Newsshopper: "[Mr Douglas] was staying with his girlfriend in NW6 and was having a night out with his friends.
"He had been in the UK for one month. He had become intoxicated, resulting in him having been asked to leave the Clapham Grand entertainment venue.
“He leaves the venue and meets with his friends again. He walked directly across the road and into the path of a bus.
"He is propelled forward and lands on the road."
The driver of the bus reportedly failed a roadside eye test and should not have been driving without glasses, but a forensic collisions investigator ruled the driver would not have been able to avoid Mr Douglas regardless.
The bus driver braked, but was unable to avoid hitting him.
Mr Douglas suffered a severe head injury. Bystanders administered CPR which was taken over by first responders. He was rushed to hospital where he was found to have an “unsurvivable” brain injury.
His parents reportedly flew out to London and agreed that due to Mr Douglas’ “catastrophic” brain injury, his life support machines should be turned off. He was pronounced dead on October 11.
Ms Harkin concluded that Mr Douglas died as a result of a traumatic brain injury from a road traffic collision, Newsshopper reported.
Tributes posted online following his death describe him as a “kind, caring young man” whose death has left a “gaping hole” in his family’s lives.
Christine Sapwell described him as “a stunning young man” with “a gorgeous smile, a big heart”.
His aunt and cousins wrote: “Bradley our gorgeous nephew and cousin. We are truly heartbroken that you have been tragically taken from us while you were having the most wonderful time on your OE [overseas experience].
“You are our practical joker,always making us laugh and giving anything a go no matter how outrageous.
“We are left with a gaping hole in our wee family and we will forever miss our kind, caring young man with a big heart and a true zest for life. Love you forever and always”.
Another family wrote: “We are absolutely devastated and heartbroken for your family to hear of the passing of Bradley which cuts so deep in the so many lives of people that he knew.”
They said Bradley, from Whangārei on New Zealand's North Island, will “always be cherished and missed”.
He leaves behind his parents, sister, and girlfriend.
Rosie Trew, TfL's Head of Bus Service Delivery, said: “Every death on the transport network is devastating and our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Bradley Douglas. Safety is our utmost priority and we are committed to learning from every collision as part of our Vision Zero goal to eliminate death and serious injury on the network.
“We continue to do everything possible to ensure the bus network is as safe as it can be and are working with the operator to ensure lessons are learned, including ensuring that drivers are reminded of their licence requirements.”
Met Police have been approached by the Standard.
