On Saturday 3rd October 2015, a deadly bus crash took place where the bus crashed into Sainsbury's in the city centre of Coventry, killing an eight-year-old boy schoolboy, Rowan Fitzgerald, and an elderly lady, Dora Hancox, while leaving a 9-year-old girl in a critical condition. The driver of the bus has allegedly been named as the 77-year-old former town mayor, Kailash Chander.
Kailash Chander, a former Labour Councillor and mayor of Leamington Spa, had worked for Stagecoach Midlands for 42 years. The police are investigating what caused the crash and so far no arrests have been made.
Witnesses at the scene of the crash described how Kailash Chander, who is said to have been driving the bus, hysterically honked his horn to warn people seconds before the crash.
A taxi driver, who was waiting in his cab, told The Telegraph, “It [the bus] travelled for about 100 metres and I would say it was travelling at 50mph or 60mph. I think the speed is 20mph. It was about a metre away from my cab door. I panicked and ran and then I heard the crash. It is so terrible. I am still in shock.”
A colleague of Kailash Chander expressed, “He [Kailash Chander] is a polite, kind man who has done a lot for the community- he was a former town mayor. I have never known him to have a crash before. This tragedy will stay with him forever.”
An unnamed relative of Chander released a statement. It read, “Being a grandfather himself, he is devastated to the core by what has happened. We feel deeply for everyone affected by this terrible tragedy. He is a very quiet man, and a caring and devoted person. He has strong ties with the local community and has spent most of his life helping and thinking of others. This is beyond anyone's imagination.”
