Taxi driver not to blame for deathA RETIRED midwife who fell after getting out of a taxi died from natural causes, an inquest heard.
Taxi driver Mohammed Jhangir was arrested on suspicion of causing Lilian Oram's death by dangerous driving.
But detailed tests on the 83-year-old's brain showed she died from a brain haemorrhage that was not linked to her fall, and the driver was released without charge.
An inquest at Hartshill yesterday heard Mrs Oram got a taxi from her home in Dividy Road, Bucknall, into Hanley.
Mr Jhangir dropped her off in Charles Street, and started to drive away. Witness Karen Potts, from Birches Head, saw Mrs Oram get out of the car.
She said in a statement: "The lady stepped down from the pavement onto the road.
"She was holding on to the taxi door, but the taxi pulled off.
"She fell onto the road and I saw her hit her head on the concrete.
"I went to her and she said she had banged her head. She wasn't very happy with the taxi driver. She said, 'I can't believe you pulled off when I was holding onto the car'.
"The driver said, 'I didn't know you were holding on'."
Mr Jhangir was not called to give evidence at the inquest, but his police statement was read out.
In it he said: "Mrs Oram walked behind my vehicle and headed towards the bus station. I began to drive off.
"I heard a noise, which was someone saying a lady had fallen down. I reversed, got out and saw Mrs Oram lying by the kerb."
Mr Jhangir, aged 45, stayed with her until paramedics arrived.
The pensioner was taken to the University Hospital of North Staffordshire following the incident, which happened at around midday on February 16 last year.
Her condition deteriorated and she died later that day.
Mr Jhangir was arrested and released on bail while inquiries were carried out, but medical tests proved the accident was not to blame.
Pathologist Dr Mark Stephens said the pensioner died from a brain haemorrhage.
"Because of the nature of the case, the question was whether it was a traumatic or natural haemorrhage," he said.
"On examination, the site of the haemorrhage was one that is almost always from a naturally-occurring event, not as a result of a fall."
The inquest heard Mrs Oram, who was a widow, suffered from asthma and diabetes, which affected her mobility.
Margaret Jones, assistant deputy coroner for Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire, recorded that Mrs Oram died from natural causes.
She said: "From the evidence available, it seems as she got out of the car something was happening, quite naturally, in her brain.
"The post-mortem revealed the brain bleed was natural in origin."
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