AN 89-YEAR-OLD grandmother had her leg shattered and wrist broken when her mobility scooter crashed into tram doors last week – but has received little sympathy from Transport for London
Pensioner Margery Collier-Brown, from Forestdale, suffered the horrific accident as she tried to get back on a tram at the Centrale stop at about 1.20pm on Monday of last week.
She had got off the tram in Tamworth Road to make room for other passengers to disembark.
However, she claims that the tram then began to move again before giving her time to get back on, resulting in her crashing into the vehicle's doors with her scooter.
After the incident, a nursery assistant kindly waited with Mrs Collier-Brown at the tram stop until an ambulance arrived.
However, when her family complained and said TfL was responsible for her injuries, the transport operator denied this and said CCTV footage showed the incident was Mrs Collier-Brown's fault.
It was initially suggested by Mrs Collier-Brown that the tram doors closed on her.
Sharon Thompson, director of London Tramlink, stated: "The customer was not trapped in any doors and did not report any injuries to staff; however, our tram doors were damaged and it was taken out of service."
The statement showed no concern for the condition of Mrs Collier-Brown.
Her grandson, Matt De Moraes, 24, said she was shaken up and was still at Croydon University Hospital having sustained injuries that "would change her life for at least a year".
He added: "She's going to need full-time care and we would like Transport for London to look into this.
"She lives on her own and was very self-sufficient.
"She has an allotment and grows all her own vegetables so this is going to be very tough for her."
Mr De Moraes – who last summer accidentally hit a woman with a golf ball from a driving range while she was waiting for a tram – thanked the nursery assistant who waited with his grandmother.
He said he hoped she could come forward so that the family could thank her properly.
Mr De Moraes said his grandmother had strained all the ligaments in her leg and broken it between the knee and the ankle.
