A woman who died when two buses crashed into each other in London has been named.
Melissa Burr, 32, from Rainham in Kent, was killed outside Victoria Railway Station on Tuesday morning.
Ms Burr, who was a pedestrian, died while two others were treated in hospital and a fourth was checked at the scene.
Her heartbroken family said in a statement today: ‘We are absolutely devastated by loss and the hole that this incident has left in our lives.
‘Melissa was a kind and thoughtful soul, had a quirky charm with such a bright future ahead of her.
‘As a family we naturally want to understand how such a tragedy occurred, but for now we just want time and space to mourn our beautiful Melissa and send her to rest with her late father.’
Melissa Burr, 32, from Rainham in Kent, was killed outside Victoria Railway Station on Tuesday
Ms Burr had been in a relationship with James Watson since May 14, 2018, according to her Facebook
Ms Burr, who was a pedestrian, died while two others were treated in hospital and a fourth checked at the scene
The victim’s family said in a statement: ‘We are absolutely devastated by loss and the hole that this incident has left in our lives’
Ms Burr had been in a relationship with James Watson since May 14, 2018, according to her Facebook.
The couple had only last month visited Mayrhofen in Austria and posed for pictures outside a bar.
Mr Watson has been a Smart Meter engineer at Quinn Infrastructure Services in London since April, his profile says. The Chelsea fan is from Medway in Kent.
Detective Constable Chris May of Met’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit said: ‘This tragic incident claimed the life of a young woman and our thoughts are with her family at this sad time.
‘We are continuing to piece together the circumstances surrounding this collision and I am very keen to hear from any witnesses who have not yet spoken with police. If you have information please don’t hesitate to get in touch.’
Witnesses raced to help after the crash involving the 507 bus to Waterloo and another going the other way at 8.25am. Ms Burr was pronounced dead at 9am.
One witness was travelling on another bus when she ‘heard a bang’ and saw a woman ‘underneath’ one of the vehicles.
She said: ‘She had a dark floral skirt and blonde hair. There were a lot of people around her, one lady was holding her hand and a guy was trying to help.’
The witness said the bus she was travelling on left moments later, adding she and her fellow passengers were left feeling shocked and ‘helpless’.
A Met Police spokesman told MailOnline: ‘Police were called at 08:25hrs on Tuesday, 10 August to reports of a collision involving two buses and three pedestrians outside Victoria Railway Station’
Big Issue seller Jacob Davidson, 36, described how passers-by ‘swarmed’ the scene following the crash to try to help.
He said: ‘It was just a loud bang, the bus smashed into the back of the one in front. The front of it was all smashed in.
‘I didn’t think much of it until two cab drivers stepped out of their cabs, jumped over the railing and started looking under the bus.
‘There was a sound of panic… people shouting ”can we get help”.’ Mr Davidson said commuters rushed to the railing to see what was happening.
He added: ‘There was a woman laying outside the bus driver’s door being helped by two or three people.
‘The I looked under the front of the bus and there was another man stuck under the bus.’
Images from the scene, just by the busy station’s coach depot, showed the vehicles on the road, indicating they had not careered off into the pavement.
The scene at Victoria bus station, central London, after a crash involving two buses in which a female pedestrian was killed
Following the crash, commuters said the crossing had been ‘a nightmare for years’ with ‘buses rushing in and out’, and the area ‘needs desperate improvement now’.
The Underground’s Circle and District lines have also suspended sections of their routes this week, causing further chaos for those having the find alternate routes.
The bus had to be hoisted off the ground by a fire engine to free the victim, shocked passers-by said.
Recovery trucks arrived just before 4pm to remove the buses, one of which has a shattered windscreen.
Police cordoned off the area around Terminus Place before later reopening it on Tuesday.
Transport for London’s Commissioner Andy Byford said: ‘We are extremely saddened that a woman has tragically died after a collision with a bus and our thoughts are with her family and friends.
‘We are thinking of everyone affected by this incident and will support everyone however we can.
‘We are working urgently with the operator of the two buses, Go Ahead London, and the police to investigate what happened.’
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9887025/Kind-beautiful-woman-32-killed-two-buses-crashed-pedestrians-London-Victoria.html
