Seven victims in 2016 Croydon The tram accident died as a result of the accident and was not killed illegally. The jury concluded their investigation into their deaths at Croydon City Hall.
Dane Chinnery, 19, Philip Sary, 57, Dorota Rynkiewicz, 35, Robert Huxley, 63, and Philip Logan from New Addington, and Donald Collett, 62, and Mark Smith from Croydon, all He was killed in a derailment accident in November 2016.
An investigation by Croydon City Hall heard how investigators believed that tram driver Alfred Doris went into “micro sleep” for nearly a minute before the crash.
The tram failed to slow down to the 12 mph speed limit when approaching a sharp bend near Sandilands station. When it lifted from the track and tipped over, it hit the curve at 45 mph.
After the findings of the investigation were announced this morning, the jury made a verdict of “accident” and rejected the possible conclusion of illegal homicide.
When reading the verdict, the foreman of the jury stated that Mr. Doris said: “The tram driver has lost his way, causing the surrounding environment to lose consciousness, probably due to lack of sleep.
“As a result, the driver failed to brake in time and drove the tram into a sharp turn at overspeed.
“The tram left the track and turned to the right. As a result, the deceased popped out of the tram and died.”
The jury found the failure of Tram Operations Ltd, which operates the Croydon line, criticized its risk assessment process and stated that it did not take some measures to reduce the risk of crashes.
The car accident at 6 in the morning killed 7 people. Except for one survivor, everyone else was injured in the derailment. Some of the victims were thrown from the windows and doors of the tram.
Chief Inspector Simon French of the Railway Accident Investigation Office told the investigation: “The tram came out of the tunnel before hitting the left corner-it overturned, overturned, and then slid along its side.
“Witnesses said it was like being thrown in a washing machine. I found it very shocking. It was fast and violent, and it happened within a few seconds.”
When trying to explain Mr. Doris’ failure to brake, he said: “We think it must be’micro sleep’, loss of consciousness, and short sleep duration.”
The investigation heard that six drivers “nearly made a mistake” on the Internet due to falling asleep on the steering wheel between 2011 and 2016.
An investigation by accident investigators also found that 21 out of 59 drivers admitted to braking late in the Sandilands tunnel before the curve.
Chief Inspector French said he believed that the drivers “feel unable to report that they made a mistake” and may not be aware of the danger of the incident.
The accident investigator found that Mr. Doris slept for a maximum of 5 hours and 20 minutes the night before the shift, and his driving “may be affected by fatigue.”
The investigation learned that the driver himself “complained about the darkness in the tunnel and the lack of warning in the early morning of winter, which may have aggravated his fatigue.”
At the beginning of the investigation, the families of the victims paid their respects to their loved ones.
Mr. Huxley’s son Rose said that their family “has left behind a great sense of humor, happy memories, and good times shared with relatives and friends, which will be missed by future generations.”
“Bob encouraged and comforted, but never guided, so through the tears of his family and friends, we saw the blessing of knowing and loving a great family man.”
He said the fanatical music and Chelsea football club fan from New Addington has a 40-year career as an electrician and is “loyal, reliable and wholehearted” to his family.
His widow, Marilyn Logan, told the court that Mr. Logan was on his way to work as a bricklayer when he died, calling the news “absolutely devastating.”
“Phil is a very energetic person, unless he is doing something, he will not be happy,” she said in a statement read by her daughter Danielle.
“To some extent, I still deny losing my husband. Losing a great husband and a very kind man has severely affected my family.”
The investigation heard that Mr. Chinnery, who works at Hydro Cleansing, a wet garbage company, is a big fan of Crystal Palace and also likes classic cars. His mother Beverley Gray said he was also a big fan of the Madness band. When they heard about his death, the band would send cards and flowers.
“There is not a day when I don’t think about what he and him will become,” she said. “I want to know what he will be like and will he change a lot?
“He is a handsome young man. He smiles contagiously. He is always smiling, always telling jokes.”
Mr. Seali’s widow Ann described how she met her husband during a blind date in the United States, “a kind, very hard-working, well-loved and caring person.”
She said that Mr. Siri, the electrical engineer of the Royal Opera House, has become the faithful stepfather of her three daughters, calling him “warm, cute, kind, generous, easy to talk, and one of the real good people. Kind heart.”
“He is very likable and has an impact on everyone he meets. I don’t think I will accept how cruel he was taken away by us,” she said.
Mr. Colette’s daughter, Tracy Angelo, said her father had always lived in South London and worked on many skyscrapers in Canary Wharf.
“If we call him a worried or problematic night, he will always tell us one thing; he will tell us to sleep on it and it will always look better in the morning,” she said.
“Unfortunately, since November 9, 2016, I cannot say that this advice is correct. In our world, without Dad’s smiling face, each of us would not be better in the morning.”
Rynkiewicz, the mother of two children, was on her way to work at Millies Cookies in Victoria Station when she was killed. As a well-trained accountant, she and her husband Andrzej met at university and got married on Christmas 2005 before moving to the UK.
In a statement, Mr. Rynkiewicz told the investigation that their daughter was only seven and five years old when she died.
“(Dorota) is eager to continue to improve in her career while becoming a mother. In addition to working hard, she is also a good mother to our daughters.”
He added: “Have to tell them that the crash was terrible. There will not be a day when the girls and I will not miss her very much.”
Mark Smith’s mother, Jean, said that her son, a professional glass installer, was going to work on a construction site in St. James’ Park on the day of the crash.
The engaged father was described as “a dedicated, reliable, responsible, respectful, honest and trustworthy young man”.
The investigation process has been delayed, and the jury chose to admit “its impact on the family” in the concluding remarks
Coroner Sarah Ormond-Walshe will now continue to consider the recommendations she can make to prevent the risk of future death.
