Croydon tram crash driver asked survivor 'how did it happen?', jury told
- Published
Alfred Dorris from Beckenham denies a charge of failing to take reasonable care at work
The man who was driving a tram that crashed in Croydon, killing seven people, asked a survivor "how did that happen?", a court has heard.
Alfred Dorris is on trial at the Old Bailey over the November 2016 crash.
Survivor Khublal Lochlan said he felt "severe turbulence" as the tram came off the track and the carriage went "pitch black", the court heard.
Mr Dorris, from Beckenham in south-east London, denies a charge of failing to take reasonable care at work.
The jury has heard how his tram derailed and overturned on a tight bend on the approach to Sandilands tram stop on the morning of 9 November 2016. The tram was travelling at more than three times the 20km/h (12.5mph) speed limit on that stretch of track.
Mr Lochlan had been aboard the tram on his usual morning commute to Putney for a shift as a bus driver.
In a statement read to the court on Monday, he said he believed the tram was going at a maximum speed when it entered a tunnel between Lloyd Park and Sandilands and he did not recall any braking.
He said: "I was immediately aware that we had been in a bad accident."
He recalled the tram driver swearing and saying: "How did that happen? Is anybody seriously injured?"
Tram 2551 was en route from New Addington to Wimbledon via East Croydon when it crashed
Another survivor, Fausta Bernardo, found herself under a chair without her glasses when the tram derailed.
She screamed at the driver to "wake up" as she saw his eyes were closed, the court heard.
Tram Operations Limited's duty manager, Hainsley Forbes, told the court that he became aware that a circuit breaker had been tripped, which he said happens when there is a power surge.
Describing a call from Mr Dorris, Mr Forbes told jurors: "He said he was in a bad way, he needs help, the tram has overturned and a lot of people are injured."
He confirmed that he had also said in his statement that the defendant said words to the effect of "I think I blacked out".
The seven passengers who were killed were Dane Chinnery, Donald Collett, Robert Huxley, Philip Logan, Dorota Rynkiewicz, Philip Seary and Mark Smith.
Mr Dorris denies failing to take "reasonable care" of the health and safety of himself and his 69 passengers on tram 2551.
The trial continues.
Follow BBC London on Facebook, external, Twitter , externaland Instagram, external. Send your story ideas to hellobbclondon@bbc.co.uk, external