A bus driver who tragically killed two women after accidentally pressing the accelerator instead of the brake has been spared jail.
Joyce Bacon, 60, and Adele Boylin, 55, were waiting to board a bus in Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester, when they were struck by a double-decker Stagecoach driven by 35-year-old Baruania Baros. Baros, an experienced bus driver with a clean licence, was assisting a disabled passenger off the bus when he mistakenly hit the accelerator, causing the bus to lurch forward and collide with the women, resulting in fatal injuries.
Baros, from Ashton-under-Lyne, admitted to two counts of causing death by careless driving and received a suspended prison sentence. The judge ruled that his pregnant wife would suffer if Baros was incarcerated and determined that he did not pose a 'risk or danger' to the public.
Prosecutors revealed that Baros had been employed as a driver for Stagecoach since February 2019. He was navigating Oldham Road in Manchester's Northern Quarter before making a left turn onto Piccadilly Gardens around 9.20pm on July 10, 2022. Mr and Mrs Bacon, along with their friend Ms Boylin, a mother-of-four who worked at Manchester Royal Eye Hospital, were waiting for the bus home after her shift when Baros pulled up.
He had to park at an angle due to another bus being in front of him, reports the Manchester Evening News. After helping a passenger on a mobility scooter off the bus, he attempted to pull out the access ramp but was unable due to the angle of the bus. Baros then decided to raise the level of the vehicle. However, he mistakenly released the handbrake causing the bus to move forward.
In a panic, he hit the accelerator instead of the brake, crashing into Mrs Bacon and Ms Boylin as they waited to board. An expert found that Baros had left the bus in gear, rather than neutral. If it had been in neutral, the accident could have been avoided. Judge Suzanne Goddard KC told Baros, "This was a fatal mistake on your part," describing the incident as a 'tragic accident'. Both women were rushed to the Manchester Royal Infirmary with serious injuries.
Mrs Bacon tragically passed away that evening, and Ms Boylin succumbed to her injuries in hospital on December 6, 2022. Judge Goddard solemnly addressed Baros: "You Baruania Baros will carry the burden of knowing your actions caused their deaths for the rest of your life, and their families will feel the terrible tragic effects of your negligence for the rest of their lives."
Ian Bacon shared his heartbreak over losing his wife of 15 years in court, saying, "Joyce and I did everything together. She was my best friend as well as my wife. Following the loss of Joyce I have struggled deeply with coming to terms with living my life without her." Sophie, Ms Boylin's daughter, conveyed her sorrow through a statement read to the court: "The day that my mother was struck by a bus was the start of the end of life as I knew it."
"The last thing she said to me was that she loved me and she would speak to me tomorrow. I keep wishing that that tomorrow would happen." The court also learned about Baros' background, hearing that he and his family had come to the UK via a refugee program after being detained in a Tanzanian refugee camp. His barrister, Patrick Cassidy, informed the court that Baros got married in 2020 and is expecting a child with his wife in the coming weeks.
Mr Cassidy highlighted that Baros had a clean slate with no prior disciplinary issues at Stagecoach before his termination, and presented testimonials praising him and expressing his regret. In the courtroom, Judge Goddard addressed Baros, saying: "In my judgement you do not present a risk or danger to the public. You have a good record, an absence of previous convictions and you have shown remorse.
"Here there is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation, strong personal mitigation, and immediate custody will result in significant harmful impact upon others." Baros, from Bentinck Street, Ashton-under-Lyne, received a 20-month prison sentence, which was suspended for two years. Additionally, he must complete 150 hours of unpaid work and adhere to a four-month curfew between 9pm and 6am. Furthermore, Baros has been disqualified from driving for a period of four years.
