Tram driver ‘blacked out and fell on accelerator’
Colleagues’ claim as grieving march
THE driver of a crashed tram in which seven passengers died and more than 50 were wounded collapsed at the wheel, colleagues said yesterday.
A source close to the probe said it was believed Alfred Dorris, 42, blacked out and fell on the accelerator.
Mr Dorris is said to have been given a routine test for drugs and alcohol following the crash in Croydon, South London.
A fellow tram driver said: “He didn’t drink and was a well-respected member of the team.
“There’s no truth in the suggestion he fell asleep – he says he blacked out. Safety features in the cab mean the tram slows down if you let go of it for three seconds, but he fell on it.”
Mr Dorris, of Beckenham, South East London, was named by tram operator First Group.
A spokesman said: “We can confirm that Alfred Dorris has worked for us since March 2008.
“Given the ongoing investigation we don’t have anything further to add at this point.”
The tram overturned on a bend in Croydon on Wednesday’s morning commuter run. The tram was li fted away yesterday. Relatives gathered to pay tribute as police named the final three fatalities as Donald Collett, 62, Philip Logan, 52, and Robert Huxley, 63.
Four other locals had already been named – Mark Smith, 35, Philip Seary, 57, Dane Chinnery, 19, and Dorota Rynkiewicz, 35. Up to 100 people marched carrying banners, flags and flowers to
t he spot whe re hundreds of bouquets had already been laid. People hugged each other and looked at a sea of tributes. They included poignant photos and mementoes of young father Mark Smith.
CANDLES
A collage of photographs of Mark and his fiancé Indre Novikovaite have been left along with candles and personalised number plates for “Marky”, whose toddler son is just 18 months old.
Among tributes to Dane Chinnery was a rose with a message from his mother. It read: “To my baby boy, rest in peace my darling, shine bright like you always did. love you, Mum xxxxxx” Well-wishers have set up crowdfunding pages to help raise money for two of the victims’ families. It came as tram carriages covered in blue sheets were removed from the accident scene by investigators. Meanwhile, it has emerged tens of millions of pounds in compensation payments could be due after the six men and one woman were killed. Helen Clifford, head of personal injury at MW Solicitors, is providing support to one of the victims. She said: “Every single person who has been involved in this tragedy is going to have some degree of psychological injury and for a lot of people that will be more severe than the physical effects. “You cannot be involved in something like this and not have long-term problems. “Everybody has their own level of resilience. Anyone with serious injuries is going to face long-term treatment and, for some, this accident will end their careers.”