The bus driver arrested on suspicion of drug-driving after a collision near East Croydon Station on Saturday, October 5, has been charged, according to the Metropolitan Police.
Busy junction: the road between Dingwall Road and the East Croydon bus station is complex, for pedestrians and for road users
A 46-year-old man was rushed to hospital following the collision; he remains in a critical condition, the police say.
The collision took place near the pedestrian crossing on George Street, opposite Boxpark.
The incident involved a 119 bus heading for Bromley. The bus was busy with passengers.
Someone on the bus said that they felt a jolt to the side of the vehicle as it passed the crossing on its way to the East Croydon bus station.
One passenger said that they had not noticed anything unusual or erratic about the way the bus had been driven until that point, nor about the driver. The driver was seen to be in some distress after the collision.
This week, in a statement to Inside Croydon, the Metropolitan Police said: “Detectives from the Met’s Roads and Transport Policing Command investigating a collision in Croydon have charged a man.
“Police were called to George Street, Croydon, at 13.09hrs on Saturday, 5 October to reports of a collision between a bus and a pedestrian.
“Officers attended along with paramedics from London Ambulance Service. A 46-year-old man was found injured. He has been taken to hospital, where he remains in a critical condition.
“The bus driver was arrested on suspicion of drug driving and was taken into custody.
“On Sunday, 6 October, Akil Atkins, 30, of Tipton Drive, Croydon was charged with drug driving.
“He is bailed to return on a date in mid-December pending further enquiries.”
The 119 route sees buses travelling straight along George Street, from the direction of Wellesley Road to the bus stop outside the railway station. The tram tracks run along the other side of George Street on this busy main road.
The T-junction with Dingwall Road, alongside the pedestrian crossing where this incident occurred, has been the site of several road traffic incidents involving other motor vehicles as well as pedestrians.
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