Generous Woman Killed by Bus at East London Crossing – Coroner Blames Traffic Light Timings
Miriam Moulia, 33, a communications manager, tragically died after being struck by a bus at a pedestrian crossing in East London. The fatal crash happened on February 4 at the busy Great Eastern Street junction. Miriam suffered catastrophic brain injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Pedestrian Crossing Confusion
On a rainy day, Miriam was walking on a pedestrian island with her hood up. She followed others crossing against the red man signal and was hit by a bus, which dragged her underneath. Despite the bus driver’s attempt to avoid the collision, the coroner ruled her death “unavoidable.”
However, the tragic accident has spotlighted major safety issues at this East London junction. The coroner revealed there have been 21 collisions on this stretch in three years – nine involving pedestrian injuries.
Unsafe Traffic Light Timings Put Pedestrians at Risk
Coroner Adam Smith slammed the existing traffic light timings. He said the signals “do not allow pedestrians enough time to cross the road safely.”
“The inter-green period – when lights are not green – is only 10 seconds at the crossing where Miriam died. This is far too short for pedestrians to cross safely before traffic moves again,” he explained.
The junction near Curtain Road and Great Eastern Street is also next to the Old Blue Last pub, another risky crossing point. The unusually high number of collisions has raised serious concerns over pedestrian safety.
TfL Promises Improvements but Warns It Could Take Years
Transport for London (TfL) has agreed to add this junction to its ‘Safer Junctions’ programme. But the coroner has urged for immediate action, such as extending pedestrian crossing times, before the major overhaul expected in 2 to 4 years.
Miriam, a University of Greenwich graduate, was described by family as “deeply caring, generous and kind.” A GoFundMe page set up in her memory reads:
“It’s difficult to put into words our sadness and shock at Miriam’s death. She left an indelible mark on everyone she met and is irreplaceable to her family and friends.”
Emergency Response on Site
Photos from the scene show a police cordon and emergency vehicles including fire engines and multiple London Ambulance Service units. A spokesperson confirmed:
“We sent an ambulance crew, a medic in a car, an incident response officer, a command support vehicle, and our hazardous area response team. Also, a London Air Ambulance car was dispatched. Sadly, one person died at the scene.”
The tragic death has once again put spotlight on the urgent need to improve pedestrian safety at dangerous London crossings.
