Safe Speed Forums

Camelot car park death ‘accidental’
By Amanda Smith
A BUS driver told of the moment a five-year-old boy from Bolton was knocked down and killed after running out in front of him at a theme park.
Brendan Smyth told an inquest that Hishamulhaque Haque, aged five, of Bridgeman Street, Daubhill, was chasing a football when he was knocked down.
At Preston Coroner's Court yesterday, he said: "I swerved to the left to try to avoid him, but then I heard an impact."
Mr Smyth, a bus driver of 29 years, arrived at Camelot theme park, near Chorley, on April 18, 2004, at 6pm.
He saw a group of men and boys playing football in the car park.
"I was very surprised to see quite a considerable number of people dotted around the place," Mr Smyth said.
"I saw the football game and took notice because they can always cause problems when driving."
Mr Smyth said he slowed down until he moved away from the group playing.
Then he saw Hishamulhaque chasing the ball.
He said: "I saw the ball and the boy coming across in the right hand side window.
"I would say the boy was travelling so fast he was catching the ball."
Mr Smyth estimated he was travelling at about 10 to 15mph at the time of the accident.
He said: "I had a split second to make a decision. The danger was coming from the right and I swerved left to avoid what was coming at me."
Roy Page, chief executive of Prime Resorts, which owns Camelot, said there were no signs indicating the speed limit along the perimeter of the car park.
But he said that the car park was generally known as a "slow-moving vehicle area".
Police traffic officer PC Stephen Burgess said calculations showed that if Mr Smyth had applied the emergency brakes there was "a possibility" that the victim would not have been hit by the rear offside wheels of the bus.
Mr Smyth said he did not take such measures because the bus could have skidded to the right, towards Hishamulhaque.
Pc Burgess said that any decision made by Mr Smyth would have been "in the heat of the moment".
Recording a verdict of accidental death, Preston coroner Dr James Adley, said: "This case is deeply tragic and the death of children in any case affects everyone in the court with profound sadness and the family have my deepest sympathies for their loss."

Roy Page, chief executive of Prime Resorts, which owns Camelot, said there were no signs indicating the speed limit along the perimeter of the car park.