Tram accident victim’s family seeks compensation

Posted 09/06/2010

Relatives of a woman killed by a tram while on holiday in Blackpool have said they will be seeking compensation from the transport company they hold responsible.

Maureen Foxwell, 70, had been visiting the resort with her husband Barry when the accident happened in August 2009.

She had been waiting to cross a road and mistakenly thought that an oncoming tram was about to stop, the South Wales Argus attests.

Instead it continued along the route and hit Ms Foxwell as she crossed over, causing serious internal injuries.

The victim later died in hospital.

A report by the Rail Accident Investigation Bureau found that the tram had been travelling at up to 23.6 miles per hour (mph) at the time of the crash, instead of the recommended four mph, and that the driver had only been qualified for seven weeks .

Mr Foxwell said he is to take legal action against Blackpool Transport Services.

The Blackpool Tramway dates back to 1885 and carries 6.5 million passengers a year.