'Sheriff could have made a difference on bus laws, but chose not to' – tragic girl's mother

AN ANGRY mother has hit out at a sheriff's failure to call for changes in the law after her teenage daughter was killed moments after getting off a school bus.

Robyn Oldham, 15, was knocked down and killed by a car in September 2008, after she alighted from the bus a few yards from her home at Birkenhills, near Turriff in Aberdeenshire.

Since Robyn's death her mother Carla, 40, has become an outspoken advocate for school bus safety and is backing a campaign to make it illegal for vehicles to overtake stationary school buses.

Last month Mrs Oldham attended a fatal accident inquiry into Robyn's death at Banff Sheriff Court. Yesterday she spoke of her frustration after Sheriff Gordon Fleetwood issued his determination and concluded that he had no recommendations to make about changing the school bus laws.

Mrs Oldham said: "I feel upset, hurt and angry. The sheriff had a chance to make a difference and he chose not to.

"If he had made recommendations it would at least have been a start. It is rubbish to suggest that nothing could have been done to prevent Robyn dying."

She added: "It's not a blame game. I haven't blamed any one particular person. I feel as guilty as hell because I didn't meet Robyn off the school bus.

"But she was 15 and if I had said to Robyn that I was going to meet her off the school bus, I know what she would have said.

"Now I'm never going to see her smile and I'm never going to see her laugh. It's gut-wrenching."

Robyn's death, together with that of 12-year-old Alexander Milne, of Lonmay, who was killed in another accident in Aberdeenshire the same month, led to both families backing the safety campaign being led by Ron Beaty, from Gardenstown, whose granddaughter Erin was left partially paralysed following a school bus accident six years ago.

Mr Beaty gave evidence at the inquiry, where he called for overtaking of stationary school buses by other vehicles to be banned.

However, in his judgment Sheriff Fleetwood said: "On the evidence I heard I was not persuaded that a change in the law could be recommended.

"Whether Mr Beaty's continuing campaigning on this issue results in a change to the law is a matter for another day."

Sheriff Fleetwood said the evidence was unclear whether Robyn walked or ran on to the carriageway. But he was satisfied the driver of the car, Gillian Ancell, was left with no time to avoid a collision.

He said he had been impressed by the "extensive and appropriate steps" taken by Aberdeenshire Council to prevent a similar tragedy, following Robyn's death from head injuries on the A947 Turriff to Aberdeen road.

Sheriff Fleetwood ruled: "There were no reasonable precautions whereby her death might have been avoided. There were no defects in any system of working which contributed to her death."

A spokesman for Aberdeenshire Council said: "A significant amount of work has taken place in Aberdeenshire in terms of school bus safety since this tragic accident, and it is encouraging that the sheriff was impressed by this.

"Although there were no recommendations for Aberdeenshire Council as a result of the inquiry, we will continue our work to further improve the safety of pupils travelling to and from school by bus and will note the details of the sheriff's determination with interest."