Driver who caused a woman to have both legs amputated fined just £120
A BUS driver who crashed into a woman leaving her needing both legs amputated has been fined just £120.
The accident saw a woman have both legs amputated
Lionel Tancock, of Bristol, drove into the 81-year-old woman while she was walking with her husband in the centre of Bath on October 21 last year.
As well as having her legs amputated, she has been left with brain issues that mean members of her family find her “almost unrecognisable”.
Tancock, 62, has been banned from driving for six months and fined £120 and ordered to pay court costs of £85 and a £20 victim surcharge.
Lionel Tancock was fined £120
Bath Magistrates Court heard the victim, who was known as “Mrs Meeks” had been crossing the road with her husband when the accident happened.
Ian Dawes, prosecuting, said: "It was daylight. The complainants were visible. They were wearing relatively bright clothing. They were halfway across the road.
"It is the Crown's position that the defendant - as he turned the bus into the street as they were crossing - was not looking the right way. This was a momentary lapse of concentration."
CCTV stills short from cameras at the front and rear of the bus showed Tancock moments before the collision with his head turned to one side.
The incident
This is a horrible, horrible accident
He was not breaking the speed limit at the time of the accident and had no trace of alcohol in his blood.
Andrea Cook, defending, told the court on Thursday, May 26, that her client had been a professional bus driver for 38 years with "no misdemeanours whatsoever" and that he had admitted to looking in the wrong direction just before the incident.
"What he's actually guilty of is looking away for a couple of seconds before he turns right into the street.
"Effectively, this is a horrible, horrible accident - a momentary lapse of concentration."
Lionel Tancock
Tancock was fired by bus company First immediately after the incident.
The chairman of the bench told Tancock, who pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention: "This is a very distressing case and we're very much aware of the significant impact on the victims.
"However this was a momentary lapse of concentration at very low speed by someone who has an impeccable driving record of 38 years.”