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TRAGIC: youngster Ruth Turner who got off a bus and ran into the path of a car.
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Mum: ‘no blame’
Adam Derbyshire30/ 5/2007
A MUM has told the driver who knocked down her toddler in a tragic road crash not to blame himself.
Ruth Turner, three, suffered multiple injuries when she ran into the road and was hit by a car after getting off a bus with her mum and brother and sister in Yew Tree Lane, Dukinfield.
Mum Gillian was struggling with bags of shopping and a pram and let the children get off first, an inquest heard.
"The last couple of times I had got off first and the driver had set off with the children still on board," she told the court. "I had to bang on the door to get him to stop. So I decided to make sure they were off first."
As they walked along the pavement behind the bus, the youngster wriggled free from sister Bronwyn's grasp after seeing brother Luke cross to the other kerb.
As she followed him into the road, she was hit by a Peugeot 206, driven by 27-year-old Andrew Denton.
Gillian, of Hadfield Crescent, Ashton said: "I didn't see what happened I just heard a thud.
"But I don't blame the driver. Like us, he will have to live with it for the rest of his life. She was a special child."
Coroner John Pollard said: "That is probably one of the most generous statements ever read in court by someone in your circumstances.
"There is nothing anyone should blame themselves for. It was a tragic accident."
Leanne Rowbottom, Mr Denton's partner, who was in the passenger seat, broke down in tears as she told of the moment the little girl was knocked down.
She said: "We were visiting our childminder and had our daughter in the back seat. As we turned on to Yew Tree Lane, Andrew was driving at no more than 15mph. Suddenly, without warning a small child dressed in pink appeared in front of us. I screamed in shock and he braked and swerved but it was too late.
"I got out and ran to her. Someone tried to move her, but I stopped them. After that it was a blur."
Off-duty paramedic Terence Holtby was visiting his mother nearby at the time.
He ran down to tend to Ruth and found her unresponsive.
He began resuscitation and the ambulance crew later told him they had managed to get an "output" on the way to hospital.
Accident investigators arrived on the scene, but were unable to gather statements from all the witnesses because the bus driver had only waited a few minutes before driving off.
The youngster, who attended Acorn nursery, was taken to Tameside Hospital but later transferred to Pendlebury children's hospital where she regained consciousness, but was paralysed from the neck down.
Complications set in with her spinal injury and she died almost a fortnight later on 11 November.
Mr Pollard said: "It is unfortunate the bus left the scene.
"It would have inconvenienced the passengers to be kept waiting but, quite frankly, so what."
Afterwards Gillian said: "I want to thank the paramedics, staff at both hospitals and everyone for their kindness and support."
Verdict: accidental death.
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2/06/2007 at 02:13
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12/06/2007 at 23:28