Elderly man dragged beneath tram

A violent accident in which a man was hit by a Sydney tram on Tuesday has been described as a purely pedestrian error by the tram’s operators.
The 78-year-old was dragged underneath the tram after being struck attempting to cross the road at the corner of Pitt and Hay Streets in Haymarket, just before 12.30pm.
It took a police rescue squad and NSW Fire Brigade services 20 minutes to free the man, who was wedged between the footpath and the front of the tram, which had to be lifted using hydraulic jacks.
The victim was taken to St Vincent’s Hospital suffering a number of abrasions and will remain there for some time, cited as being in a stable condition.
The tram driver, as well as the injured man, was breath-tested by police.
A Metro Transport spokeswoman said that the competence of the driver was under no scrutiny, whatsoever.
“It was of completely no fault to us at all. It was the pedestrian’s error,” said the spokeswoman.
“He stepped out in front of the tram, the driver had absolutely no option.”
While police stated that the investigation was still ongoing, a spokesman supported the position of the Metro Transport representative, saying that police were of the opinion that “the accident was the result of misadventure on behalf of the pedestrian.”
Police said it wasn’t known how fast the tram was travelling, however the Metro Transport spokeswoman said that the vehicle was moving very slowly when the man was hit.
Police could not say how far the man was dragged.
The RTA said Pitt Street had been closed in both directions near the accident site. Tram services were delayed for some time that afternoon.
Police are currently interviewing witnesses and are urging anyone who saw the accident to come forward.