Oxfordshire family warn of ‘danger of coaches’ after tragedy

Patricia Hazell, from Witney, died in the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford on May 25, 2025 after a fall from a coach door at Broadway Railway Station in Worcestershire a month prior.

At her inquest last month, the coroner raised concerns about passenger safety with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).

And now her family are calling for awareness of the “dangers” of coaches that have modifications that could become a problem.

Patricia Hazell, from Witney (Image: Family handout)

In a statement, the family said: “We are devastated by the loss of our mum and find it particularly distressing due to the tragic circumstances. The accident could so easily have been prevented.

“Our mum was a wonderful, kind-hearted person with an easy smile and quick to laugh. She made friends easily and everybody she crossed paths with appreciated her generosity of spirit.

“We feel this case should be aired widely so that the public is informed about the dangers of coaches that have been retrospectively fitted with disabled access doors and other modifications without the potential risks having been fully mitigated by individual companies.”

Mrs Hazell had been sat in the seat behind the allotted wheelchair space on the coach, and when it pulled into the coach station the driver disembarked, and passengers followed suit.

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The 82-year-old stood by her seat with her hand on the window to steady herself, without realising the window was the wheelchair access door for the coach, which was opened from the outside without warning.

Mrs Hazell fell six feet from the door of the coach and suffered serious injuries, which reduced her mobility and left her in significant pain.

She was taken to Worcester Hospital and a month later transferred to Witney Community Hospital to be closer to family before moving to the John Radcliffe Hospital.

Her serious injuries and pain levels meant she was confined to a hospital bed, leading to a reduction in her mobility, and she subsequently developed a chest infection from which she died.

Following Mrs Hazell’s fall, the coach company ”took steps within its control” to prevent a repeat of what happened, the court heard, but evidence established that changes to the design and safety of doors were matters for the DVSA.

Area coroner Nicholas Graham said: “In my opinion, unless the risk is reviewed and addressed at a regulatory and design level, there remains a risk of future deaths.”

His concerns included the way access doors could be opened from the outside and safeguards to warn passengers were not entirely ‘effective’.