I called today to better check the bus driver National Health Service The psychotherapist was crushed to death on the crosswalk.
Gilla Gelberg in Stratford Avenue After the driver was distracted by the on-board camera screen and ran a red light.
The coroner recorded the verdict that she was unlawfully killed.
The investigation last month was informed that the driver had a history of drug and alcohol abuse and had been involved in previous collisions. After Ms. Gelberg’s husband Jonathan Wilson filed an appeal, CPS reversed its decision not to prosecute the driver. But the driver died before being tried for negligent driving and causing death.
Ms. Gelberg, 63, from Crouch End, is the head of the psychodynamic psychotherapy team of the NHS Trust in East London. She was taking a lunch break and was waiting for the green man before crossing the road. She was pronounced dead at the scene in June 2018.
A previous investigation conducted by Walthamstow assistant coroner Ian Wade QC heard that the driver had been receiving drug and alcohol abuse treatment since 2013. Tower Transit, the company that ran the bus at the time, told the court that if they knew the driver’s medical history, they would not hire a driver.
Mr. Wilson said his wife is doing her “dream job”, working with people with complex needs due to social deprivation, domestic abuse and refugee status. In a speech after the investigation, he called on Transport for London to review the driver screening procedures used by private bus operators in the capital.
He said: “We are still trying to accept the cruel impact of our family’s hearts being wiped out in an instant. A driver with this medical history may be hired to drive a double-decker bus. This is still a very worrying issue. …We believe that people with these problems can be screened and monitored without adequate screening.”
Angela Batchelor, from Irwin Mitchell’s representative of Ms. Gelberg’s family, said: “Jila’s death is a clear reminder that the driver’s inattention may put other vulnerable road users in danger.”
It is understood that the driver passed the pre-employment drug and alcohol test and also passed after the collision.
TfL Bus Operations Director Louise Cheeseman said: “Ms. Gelberg’s death was a tragedy, and our thoughts are still with her family and friends.
“We will work closely with Tower Transit to learn any lessons from this terrible incident and respond to any suggestions made by the traffic commissioner.”
