On 25 April 2007, at 09:40am, Sarah, her daughter Pollyanna and mother Elizabeth arrived at the bus depot in Mortlake, when the bus they were meant to board veered off the road onto the pavement, colliding with all three of them.
Sarah’s mother, Elizabeth, was killed instantly in the crash, while her daughter Pollyanna was thrown several feet in the air and, Sarah was trapped under the bus. The crash left Sarah and Pollyanna with serious injuries, which resulted in Pollyanna’s leg requiring amputation later that day. Sarah’s mother was 66, Pollyanna was only two at the time and Sarah was 35.
Pollyanna with her brother Barnaby, sister Sapphire, and parents Sarah and Christopher and dog Queenie
Elizabeth, 66, was tragically killed when a London bus veered off the road and onto the pavement
I want to share the story of my mother, Elizabeth, who was tragically killed by a London bus. It is vital we support all road crash victims by raising awareness of the importance of safe roads, for all.
The crash had a devastating impact on the family and her wider family. Sarah lost her kind and caring mother, Pollyanna lost her grandmother, and Sarah’s father lost his wife. Sarah felt she could no longer live in the area due to the crash. Her family and community had shown her an incredible amount of support and kindness in the months and years after the crash, but Sarah needed to have a fresh start.
Sarah wants to raise awareness that roads are used by everybody. Crashes can involve anybody at any time. We must all take extra care. In February 2016 Transport for London launched The Sarah Hope Line, to help people who are seriously injured or bereaved by a life-changing incident on the TfL network.