Peshwari Naan

Daily Mail reports on 4th December 2008...

Traffic lights were faulty, says grieving husband after wife is crushed by coach

A grieving husband left distraught after the death of his wife on a pedestrian crossing launched a one-man fight to prove the traffic lights were faulty, an inquest heard yesterday.

Iveta Iravanian, 33, was killed when she ran out while the red man showed.

But her widower, Leo, became convinced that pedestrians were not given enough time to cross the road, he hired a private detective to prove it.

His investigation found that the traffic lights gave pedestrians as little as five seconds to cross a three-lane junction. Department for Transport guidelines recommend a minimum 12-second time gap to allow for safe crossing.

Yesterday an inquest into Mrs Iravanian's death heard that she was crushed by a National Express coach when she ran into the road and slipped over at a busy junction.

The Hungarian-born solicitor died of multiple injuries on February 23 last year on her way to work as a paralegal secretary.

Mr Iravanian, a 43-year-old estate agent, has battled for one and a half years with Transport for London (TFL), which is responsible for the traffic signals at a major crossroads near Victoria Station, in central London.

TFL engineer Mark Beasley admitted that the timings of the lights did not comply with current safety standards. When the signal system was put in place in 1984, it did comply with safety standards, the inquest at Westminster Coroner's Court heard.

Mr Beasley said: 'There was a lack of funding so lights were not modernised as quickly as we would have hoped. There has been a slippage of five to 10 years before TFL took over in 2000.'

Independent civil engineer Steven Hall, who works for road safety specialists Morgan Tucker, said pedestrians were in danger if they crossed while the green man was showing.

He said: 'No matter when you cross on the green phase there should be sufficient time to reach the other side - even on the last second, even for slow pedestrians. Five seconds was not enough.'

When the signal system was put in place in 1984, it did comply with safety standards, the inquest at Westminster Coroner's Court heard.

Coroner Paul Knapman asked Mr Beasley: 'Couldn't the timings have been changed at any time since TFL took over?'

'They could have been,' Mr Beasley said.

The inquest also heard how lights at the busy junction had become twisted causing potential confusion to pedestrians.

Witnesses described how Mrs Iravanian had run out while a red man light was showing.

One witness, Miles Cresswell-Turner described how she hesitated at a traffic island before running and falling.

Mr Cresswell-Turner said: 'She had a "do I or don't I" moment... on crossing she slipped and I thought "she's going to die"... it was impossible for the driver to stop.'

The coach was travelling at 29mph when it struck Mrs Iravanian, police said.

The junction of Grosvenor Gardens has had its timing increased since the accident and complete changes to the crossroads are planned.

The verdict is expected today.

Hampstead and Highgate Express reports on 4th December 2008...

Husband's anger after Suburb wife dies under wheels of bus

A HUSBAND kissed his wife goodbye and watched in horror as she died under the wheels of a bus, an inquest heard this week.

Iveta Iravanian, 33, of Willifield Way, was struck by a National Express coach as she crossed Grosvenor Gardens in Victoria last February and died of multiple injuries.

A coroner this week recorded a narrative verdict on her death.

Born in Hungary, Ms Iravanian moved to the UK in 1993 to work as a nanny. She changed jobs several times before studying hard to become a solicitor which she had been doing for three months before she died.

Her husband Leo waved goodbye to her less than a minute before she was killed.

He said: "I am really angry that my wife is gone and nothing is going to bring her back. She was a very special lady and a wonderful wife.

"She loved helping charities and reading and she was extremely organised. She started studying law which she loved and often stayed up until three o'clock in the morning working hard.

"She loved life. I miss her a lot, all the time, she was so special to me."

Ms Iravanian made it safely across to the traffic island in the middle of the road but was struck by the bus, travelling at an estimated 29mph, as she tried to reach the pavement on the other side.

The jury inquest at Westminster Coroner's Court highlighted serious issues at the crossing, but witnesses said better safety wouldn't have saved Ms Iravanian.

The court was told there was a gap of only five seconds after the green pedestrian man went off and the amber light came on signalling traffic to go - below Department for Transport regulations of a 12 second minimum.

The jury also heard on the day of Ms Iravanian's death the traffic signal for vehicles turning right had been dislodged and was facing pedestrians - causing confusion about when to cross.

After the accident a police officer remained at the junction all day until the lights could be realigned and said many people had to be stopped from crossing on the wrong signal.

However, witnesses said Ms Iravanian was killed because she crossed when it was clear she shouldn't, not because of the problems on the junction.

They said Ms Iravanian had attempted to cross the two-lane road when the pedestrian man was on red.

One of them was Miles Cresswell-Turner, a cyclist on his way to work.

He said: "I could see her looking to her left and as she reached the island she stopped as a car passed in front of her.

"She swayed from stopping and I could see from the expression on her face that she was deciding whether or not to continue crossing the road.

"At that moment she ran across the first lane and now I think to myself that is a close call and she might not make it.

"I could see the approaching bus which I must say wasn't travelling very fast. As she reached the second lane she slipped on the wet surface and I straight away thought to myself oh no, she's going to die.

"It was impossible for the driver to stop in time. I remember looking at the pedestrian lights and could see the red man showing."

But Mr Iravanian believes his wife was misled by the lights.

Outside court he said: "I am convinced she looked at the lights and got confused because they were in the wrong place."

TfL engineer Mark Beasley admitted that the timings of the lights did not comply with safety standards.

In October last year Transport for London changed the crossing timings and installed a smaller traffic light box in the right hand lane to stop it being so easily dislodged.

TfL have now pledged to completely modernise the crossing and change the layout of the road once funding becomes available.

Daily Telegraph reports on 3rd December 2008...


Woman died at crossing that only gave pedestrians five seconds
A woman was run over by a coach and died after trying to cross at a pedestrian crossing which gave people as little as five seconds to make it over, an inquest heard.

Iveta Iravanian, 33, was killed when she ran out into the busy three-lane road while the red man showed.

Her widower Leo, 43, found the lights near Victoria Station in London sometimes gave pedestrians less than half the 12 seconds to cross recommended by the Department for Transport.

Mrs Iravanian, a paralegal secretary, died of multiple injures after slipping while crossing the road at Grosvenor Gardens on February 23 last year.

Witness Miles Cresswell-Turner said she had a "Do I or don't I?" moment.

He added: "On crossing she slipped and I thought 'She's going to die". It was impossible for the driver to stop."

The National Express coach was travelling at 29mph when it struck her, police said.

An inquest at Westminster Coroner's Court heard that Transport for London (TfL) admitted the junction did not comply with current safety standards.

Coroner Paul Knapman asked Mark Beasley, a TfL engineer: "Couldn't the timings have been changed at any time since TfL took over?"

Mr Beasley replied: "They could have been."

When the signal system was installed in 1984, it did comply with safety standards, the inquest heard.

TfL was planning on modernising the crossing, said Mr Beasley, but he said a project to modernise 5,000 lights across the capital had slipped by five to 10 years because of a "lack of funding".

Steven Hall, an independent civil engineer and road safety specialist, said: "No matter when you cross on the green phase there should be sufficient time to reach the other side - even on the last second, even for slow pedestrians. Five seconds was not enough."

Timings at the crossing were changed after Mrs Iravanian's death.

The inquest continues.