FAI Into Bus Driver's Death Underway

A grandad trapped underneath a double decker bus was pronounced dead shortly after the vehicle was lifted off him with hydraulic airbags to have him removed, a fatal accident inquiry heard.

Jim Lochrie, 62, was waiting to take over from bus driver David Logue at Cathcart Road on March 31, 2012.

Mr Logue, 47, careered the vehicle off the road and into Mr Lochrie, from Castlemilk killing him.

At an inquiry at Glasgow Sheriff Court in to Mr Lochrie's death, watch commander Malcolm Dippie said hydraulic airbags were used to lift the bus and remove the trapped man.

It was also heard that Mr Logue told a paramedic he remembered "nothing prior to the set of traffic lights".

In evidence Mr Dappie told the hearing that he received a report around 8.08am that there was a road traffic accident at Cathcart Road and was at the scene within minutes.

He said his crew commander carried out a "scene assessment" and told him that there was a man trapped underneath and they would have to lift he bus to get him out.

He said he was told there was a chance the person could be saved and added: "I had a chance to save the individual, we had to proceed quickly but safely."

Mr Dippie told the inquiry he spoke to police and told them that if the bus toppled over while it was being moved that the road would be closed for some time.

He told procurator fiscal depute Steven Quither: "Working on the premise we could save a life they were happy for this to proceed."

The court heart that hydraulic airbags were placed under the bus and "inflated to a point where the casualty can be removed".

The witness said that in this case the body of the bus was lifted but the wheels stayed on the ground so the double-decker bus didn't topple over.

Mr Quither asked if it was like jacking a car and he replied: "Exactly the same".

The court heard fire fighters and paramedics moved Mr Lochrie from under the bus and he was attended to by paramedics.

It was heard that the whole operation of arriving and lifting the bus and removing Mr Lochrie took around 15 minutes.

Mr Quither asked: "Is that about as quick as it could all have been done in the circumstances?"

The witness replied: "Yes."

Paramedic James Findlay was at the scene minutes after the collision while driving an ambulance and asked to have himself deployed from another job.

He said he helped remove Mr Lochrie who had "very serious injuries" from under the bus.

Asked if it was 8.30am that life was pronounced extinct by his colleague, he said: "It could have been."

He told the inquiry he then attended to the driver of the bus Mr Logue who he described as "shaken" and "visibly upset".

Mr Findlay was asked by Craig Murray, counsel for the Lochrie family if Mr Logue told him he remembered "nothing prior to the set of traffic lights" and if he had given a statement to police saying that.

The witness replied: "Possibly."

During earlier evidence Mr Logue - who worked with Mr Lochrie at First Glasgow's depot at Victoria Road cried as he spoke about his colleague.

Recalling the event he said: "I was doing about 20mph. The next thing I remember is someone banging. I came to and I was slumped over the wheel and there was a brick wall in front of me."

The inquiry before sheriff Kenneth Mitchell continues.