Croydon tram driver won’t face charges over crash that killed seven people

The driver of a tram which crashed killing seven people in south London will not face charges.

Alfred Dorris, of Beckenham, was arrested at the scene and questioned on suspicion of manslaughter.

An investigation found he could have drifted into a ‘microsleep’ before before speeding round a sharp bend at Sandilands at 45mph.

But the Crown Prosecution Service concluded there was not enough evidence to prosecute him for the crash in Croydon.

There will also be no charges for corporate manslaughter brought against Transport for London or operator Tram Operations Ltd, a subsidiary of FirstGroup.

British Transport Police said ‘every scrap of possible evidence has been scrutinised’.

Seven people were killed and 51 were injured when the tram derailed in south-east London on November 9 2016.

It came off the tracks at almost four times the speed limit in darkness and heavy rain.

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) said it is ‘probable’ that the driver ‘temporarily lost awareness’ on a straight section of track and may have fallen asleep for up to 49 seconds.

Announcing their decision not to charge, the CPS said forensic examination found no faults that could explain why the tram derailed on either the vehicle or the track.

The driver had no drugs or alcohol in his system, and didn’t have a medical condition which could have impaired his driving.

They said his reputation was of being reliable and experienced.

Jenny Hopkins, from the CPS, said: ‘The Croydon tram crash has had a devastating effect on the local community, especially the families and friends of the seven people who so tragically lost their lives.

‘The CPS has carefully reviewed all the available material in this case in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors and concluded that the evidence does not support a prosecution of the driver for the offence of gross negligence manslaughter. We considered other criminal offences but the evidence did not support a prosecution.

‘We fully recognise the impact this decision will have on families who have lost their loved ones and we have offered to meet with them to explain our reasons in full. Our thoughts remain with everybody affected by this tragedy.’