A grandmother died when she fell over on a bus after the driver braked sharply to avoid a cyclist.

The Press Association reports that 78-year-old Louie Palmer from Manchester suffered a neck injury in the incident, which occurred when she was on her way to a swimming lesson on Saturday (29/05/10) morning.

The double-decker bus was travelling in Oxford Road at the junction of Dover Street in the city at around 10.15am. Mrs Palmer and a friend were on their way to a swimming lesson at the Aquatic Centre in Manchester, when the bus braked suddenly and she was thrown to the front of the bus. She sustained a serious neck injury and died shortly after the incident.

Police in Manchester have issued a description of the cyclist believed to have been involved in the incident – the cyclist appeared to pull out in front of the bus suddenly, causing the driver to slam on the brakes.

Friends of Mrs Palmer say she was a quiet and caring person who led an active life and had just returned from a holiday in Malta.

A medical student travelling on the bus at the time of the accident had given Mrs Palmer first aid and the family of the pensioner thanked all those on the bus who had tried to help.

Traffic officer Pc Pete Phillips said:

‘The bus driver had to take evasive action to avoid a cyclist who was in the road. We now want to speak to this cyclist, as they could help us piece together exactly what happened.’

Mrs Palmer came from Northern Moor in Manchester and leaves three sons and three grandchildren.

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