Bus driver 'not at fault' for running over mother duck and duckling
A BUS company boss has defended the driver of a double-decker bus who ran over a mother duck and one of her nine babies on a Newquay road.
Managing director of Western Greyhound Mark Howarth was saddened to learn about the deaths, but said the driver acted within the law.
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Ann-marie Bradshaw
He spoke out after an animal-lover criticised the lack of punishment given to a bus driver involved in the incident last Tuesday morning.
Anne-Marie Bradshaw told of her horror at witnessing an explosion of feathers as the mother duck disappeared beneath the wheels of the double-decker.
She said Western Greyhound's decision not to punish the driver was ridiculous.
"The driver had plenty of time to move out the way, but chose to drive over some of them instead.
"I was shocked. My family and friends are shocked. Yet Western Greyhound decides not to punish. It's ridiculous."
The mother of two picked up the remaining ducklings and is caring for them at her home.
The 28-year-old, from Quintrell Downs was driving behind the bus when the incident happened.
"It was only when the bus drove over the object and feathers exploded into the air that I knew it was a bird of some sort.
"As I drove past I saw eight baby ducklings, along with the mother, who had been run over as well as another duckling, and stopped immediately. I reversed a few metres and picked all eight of them up, with the help of two other people, and put them in my car's passenger footwell and rushed them to the warmth of my home.
Mrs Bradshaw's father-in-law, Newquay town crier David Bradshaw, had the advice and food to help keep the babies alive.
"He gave us a bag of food called chick crumb which is small enough for them to eat," said Mrs Bradshaw, who is married to David's son Tommy.
"Apparently after two weeks you can let them go back into the wild, which is what I plan to do.
Shock
"But I, like many of my friends, are just still in shock as to the driver's attitude to these creatures."
Mr Howarth said they had investigated the incident and concluded that the driver could not have avoided striking the ducks.
He said: "The law states that bus drivers must ensure the comfort and safety of passengers is not compromised.
"We have closed circuit television at the front and rear of our buses and could see it was raining, which made the road slippery, and the ducks just ran out in front of the bus.
"We do not feel the driver has done anything wrong as passenger safety is our main concern."
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by Quack, North Cornwall
Friday, August 20 2010, 2:28AM
“New Worm, you are perfectly right and yet there is nothing in the article that says what the driver did or did not do after the incident.
As you rightly quote
"give your own and the vehicle owner¿s name and address, and the registration number of the vehicle, to anyone having reasonable grounds for requiring them"
If no one at the scene asked him (which we do not know) then it would have to be accepted that he would have told his bosses and had to fill out an accident report in the office (which I know we have no proof of either).
This does not excuse 2 things.
1. The ridiculous attack on the driver for something that would have been unavoidable in a BUS.
2. That this has caused such a stir that it made the front page of the local paper when so many other things, like the £30 million sat in an icelandic bank of Cornwall County Councils (ours in other words) that is going to get written off at a time when they are cutting jobs and giving ridiculous pay rises to the head of the council.
It is never nice to see something die and I am sure Mrs Bradshaw was horrified by the incident, as any sane person would be, but this does not mean the driver did anything wrong as at the moment of the incident he (I presume, maybe a she) had passengers on the bus and I believe there are also laws about leaving them unattended so was unable to do so. With no damage to the bus it would have been the right thing to do to continue with the route and deal with it in the office at the end of the day.”
by New Worm, Cornwall
Thursday, August 19 2010, 11:53PM
“Rule 286 of the Highway Code and Section 170 of the Road Traffic Act states:
"If you are involved in a collision which causes damage or injury to any other person, vehicle, animal or property, you MUST
¿stop
¿give your own and the vehicle owner¿s name and address, and the registration number of the vehicle, to anyone having reasonable grounds for requiring them
¿if you do not give your name and address at the time of the collision, report it to the police as soon as reasonably practicable, and in any case within 24 hours"
Not necessary if you run over wild animals, but how would you know whether the ducks were wild or owned by someone?”
by Daz, newquay
Thursday, August 19 2010, 6:31PM
“What kind of duck/bird is this Mrs Bradshaw.....
A friend of mine keeps various `fowl` and might be interested in some kind of breeding project i.e `The Kernow Bradshaw`!”
by Quack, North Cornwall
Thursday, August 19 2010, 6:12PM
“I hadn't bought the paper this week but have just been told this was the headline story on the front page and it made me laugh.
While it is sad to hear about the death of any animal, and believe me I have heard a few after living on Dartmoor, it made me recall a car crash where an elderly lady in a cinquiento (sp?) swerved to avoid a squirrel. This was the worst thing she could have done as a Royal Navy landrover was coming the other way and the 2 vehicles collided. My freind (a local fireman) was on the shout and had to peel her face off the steering wheel and help remove her body from the car.
This was a small car going head on with a sturdier vehicle, imagine what a double decker (7 tonnes worth) would do to any vehicle or person if it lost control. The stupidity of people saying that the bus driver was wrong in this case does not hold water (and I love animals and my friends even call me a hippy before you comment) as anyone that has actually been taught to drive knows that no matter how big (or small) the animal you just do not swerve, and that includes people that are stupid enough to walk into the path of a vehicle.
Back to what I was going to say but been laughing so much I couldn't finish it. This was the headline story of the paper that is meant to be the better of the 2 local ones, missing stories of how bad Newquay is for a change, or maybe a certain couple just haven't got anything to complain about anymore and that story is just falling away. To those that wasted their money buying the paper this week to pay them for this headline story the old saying comes into play. Fool me once shame on you, Fool me twice shame on me.”
by Flom, Planet Earth
Thursday, August 19 2010, 11:34AM
“It is a terrible shame, but I find it pretty hard to believe that the bus driver pursued the ducks on purpose, which seems to be the conclusion that some are coming to.
If he could have avoided hitting them, I am sure he would have.
And Wyllieboy, Pendeen, you are wicked but that did make me snigger. XD”
by Wyllieboy, Pendeen
Thursday, August 19 2010, 10:54AM
“Waste not want not, in times of austerity try this recipie for devilled duck hearts. Yum yum
Serves 2
12-24 duck hearts
4-5 tablespoons flour for dusting
1 teaspoon cayenne powder
Kosher salt
2 teaspoons dry mustard
2 tablespoons duck fat or butter
2 tablespoons grated onion
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons duck or chicken broth
2 tablespoons minced parsley
Crusty bread to serve
Heat a saute pan over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes, until hot. Add the duck fat or butter and let it sizzle.
Meanwhile, mix the salt, cayenne, dry mustard and flour together. Dust the hearts with it.
Drop the hearts into the pan and saute them for 3-4 minutes, shaking the pan and letting the little hearts roll around a bit.
Drop the grated onion, Worcestershire sauce and broth into the pan and deglaze it. Swirl everything around so the hearts get coated. Let this cook for 2-3 minutes, then remove the hearts with a slotted spoon.
Let the sauce reduce to a glaze, turn off the heat, return the hearts and swirl to coat again.
Sprinkle with the parsley and serve with the crusty bread.”
by C Smith, Newquay
Thursday, August 19 2010, 10:32AM
“Hang on, hang on....... "Mrs Bradshaw's father-in-law, Newquay town crier David Bradshaw, had the advice and food to help keep the babies alive. He gave us a bag of food called chick crumb which is small enough for them to eat, said Mrs Bradshaw, who is married to David's son Tommy."
Doesn't Tommy Bradshaw help run a different local bus company? Maybe there is an alternative reason behind the attack on the green buses, because they are the competition! The penny drops.”
by C Smith, Newquay
Thursday, August 19 2010, 10:23AM
“What was the driver meant to do? Swerve and hit another car?”
by Rebecca Cook, West Yorkshire
Thursday, August 19 2010, 9:52AM
“I am a bus driving instructor on holiday in Cornwall, and I am shocked to read about the verbal attack on a local bus driver who ran over a duck and her ducklings. I am an animal lover and keep Pekin ducks, but this hatred response towards the driver is ludicrous!
A double-decker is a big, high-sided vehicle, and unlike a car it can¿t be hastily manoeuvred without resulting in problems. If the driver had braked hard in the rain, or swerved to avoid the duck, he could have lost control. Just think how you would be feeling now if that 7-tonne bus had swerved and smashed head-on into a loved one¿s car!
Also remember that a double-decker bus doesn¿t have seatbelts. What if your Granny had been on the bus, and she had been thrown from the seat, breaking her hip when the bus reacted unexpectedly?
A bus driver¿s first concern should be the safety of his passengers and surrounding individuals. It sounds like the driver in this case remained in full control and reacted by the book (Highway Code tells you not to swerve to avoid hitting an animal). Others may have reacted in blind panic, or various levels in between, and it is those people that cause deaths of other road users!
I find it bizarre that Mrs Bradshaw is fighting for disciplinary action against the driver. I think an apology is due to the driver and the bus company for such ridiculous behaviour towards them.”
by steve, pz
Wednesday, August 18 2010, 3:37PM
“This is why you must always live life to the full.”