Bus kills romping couple 
2003 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance
Copy From The Sun Online 5th February 2003-02-05
Written By MARTYN SHARPE
A BUS driver ran over and killed a courting couple as they romped in the middle of the road at midnight, a court heard yesterday.
Paul Liversage mistook Kim Fontana, 32, and Paul Cowley, 40, for a bag of rubbish as he drove along in his single decker.
By the time he spotted it was two people it was too late to stop. The couple died from massive head and abdominal injuries.
inutes earlier, off-duty paramedic Robert Gorringe halted his car in front of the canoodling couple.
They refused to move and he was forced to manoeuvre around them on the poorly-lit road.
He told Sheffield magistrates: “They were right on the white line. I sounded my horn three times, but it had no effect on them.
“It was a male and a female and I could see the man was on top. I shouted ‘You want to get up or otherwise you’ll be run over.’
“The man simply said ‘Cheers mate’ and I heard a female voice laughing.”
Another bus driver, Colin Carter, was behind Mr Gorringe and also had to swerve to avoid hitting the couple, who had been out on a date.
r Carter said: “They were both wearing very dark clothing. I was thankful someone had been in front of me otherwise it could have been me running them over because I’d never have seen them.”
inutes later Mr Liversage, 56, did hit the couple.
Prosecutor Angela Wrottesley said Mr Liversage had been driving with his headlights dipped in Westfield, Sheffield, and had not braked until the last minute.
She added: “His driving fell below the standard one would reasonably expect of a prudent, competent driver.”
Police accident investigator Michael Whittingham said Kim was lying on her back and Paul was either lying or kneeling between her legs.
He said: “One can expect a pedestrian in the road walking or running, but to expect a driver to anticipate pedestrians lying in the road is out of the ordinary.”
r Liversage denies careless driving. The case goes on.
Submitted on 02/05/2003
Submitted by:
Q
Reference:
The Sun Online 05/02/03
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