Tuesday 12 June 2012

Cambridge student killed after being dragged for half a mile under bus

A Cambridge University student died after being dragged for nearly a kilometre under a double-decker bus - and even stopped to pick up passengers with her lifeless body underneath.
Mingwei Tan, 20, suffered massive injuries after being hit by a N5 night bus in Hampstead, northwest London, driven by 52-year-old Shahriar Firouzian.
But Firouzian was oblivious to the tragedy and only found out about the tragedy when he arrived for work the next day, and told police he thought he had hit a fox.
Model student: Mingwei Tan, 20, suffered massive injuries after being hit by a N5 bus driven by in Hampstead, northwest London, driven by 52-year-old Shahriar Firouzian
Model student: Mingwei Tan, 20, suffered massive injuries after being hit by a N5 bus driven by in Hampstead, northwest London, driven by 52-year-old Shahriar Firouzian
The medical student's body was found lying in the road in Haverstock Hill after the crash, around 825m from where her shoe came off in Pond Street when first hit by the bus.
Iranian-born Firouzian, who has worked for bus firm Metroline since 2003, is standing trial accused of causing Ms Tan's death by careless driving.

Hamish Reid, prosecuting, told a jury at Blackfriars Crown Court Firouzian should have spotted Ms Tan when he turned sharply into Pond Street from Hampstead Road.
'He should have anticipated that pedestrians might be present in the road in front of him', he said.
Tributes: The medical student's body was found lying in the road in Haverstock Hill after the crash, around 825m from where her shoe came off in Pond Street when first hit by the bus
Tributes: The medical student's body was found lying in the road in Haverstock Hill after the crash, around 825m from where her shoe came off in Pond Street when first hit by the bus
'Essentially by failing to ensure that he had a clear view in front of him, he fell below the standard to be expected by a competent and careful driver and was driving without due care and attention.
'It is by this failure on his part that he collided with Ms Tan and this caused her death.'
Ms Tan, a medical student at Peterhouse College, Cambridge, and president of the university's karate club, had returned from a holiday with friends to Cyprus late on September 29, 2010.
Friends at university have described her as joyful, talented and enthusiastic.
Popular: Ms Tan, a medical student at Peterhouse College, Cambridge, and president of the university's karate club, had returned from a holiday with friends to Cyprus late on September 29, 2010
Popular: Ms Tan, a medical student at Peterhouse College, Cambridge, and president of the university's karate club, had returned from a holiday with friends to Cyprus late on September 29, 2010
The medical student's body was found lying in the road in Haverstock Hill after the crash, around 825m from where her shoe came off in Pond Street when first hit by the bus.
She took the N24 bus from Victoria Station to Hampstead to pick up luggage from a family friend's house where she was staying, planning to head off on another trip to Rome later that day.
But the third year student was knocked down and died shortly after getting off the N24, at around 1.45am.
Bus driver Shahriar Firouzian, 52, is accused of careless driving after running over 20-year-old Cambridge medical student Ming Wei Tan in London
Bus driver Shahriar Firouzian, 52, is accused of careless driving after running over 20-year-old Cambridge medical student Ming Wei Tan in London
The court was shown CCTV footage from both the N24 and Firouzian's bus in the moments before Ms Tan was hit.
Mr Reid said: 'Ms Tan is seen walking up Hampstead Road towards the junction with Pond Street, and she crosses Pond Street from the south to the north on the west side of the junction.
'This is at the time when Mr Firouzian is turning right into Pond Street, therefore she is crossing the road directly in front of him.
'He totally fails to see her.
'She is caught by the bus and dragged underneath it towards the offside.'
Firouzian stops to pick up a passenger in Pond Street and then carries on driving up the road, unaware of having hit a pedestrian.
Mr Reid said: 'All this while, Ms Tan is underneath the bus.
'Her body only comes free from the underside of the bus just south of the junction with Belsize Grove, 825m after the point of the original collision.'
Passers-by soon spotted her body lying in the road and called for help, but she was declared dead at the scene.
Firouzian finished his shift and only realised what had happened when he showed up for work the next day, the court was told.
He was immediately suspended and later arrested and charged.
Tragic loss: Miss Tan was a brilliant student at Peterhouse College, Cambridge (pictured), where friends described her as joyful, talented and enthusiastic
Tragic loss: Miss Tan was a brilliant student at Peterhouse College, Cambridge (pictured), where friends described her as joyful, talented and enthusiastic
In a statement to police, he said he thought he may have hit a fox that night near Belsize Park tube station.
Mr Reid said Firouzian was not breath tested after the crash, but is not suspected of being unfit to drive, on his phone, or under the influence of drink or drugs when the crash happened.
However, he suggested Firouzian may have been looking to his right rather than straight ahead at the exact moment of hitting Ms Tan.
Firouzian, of Harrow Way, Watford, Hertfordshire, denies causing death by careless driving.  


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2158175/Cambridge-student-Mingwei-Tan-killed-dragged-half-mile-bus.html#ixzz1xcaljSOR

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