Adrian wrote:
"Richard J." gurgled happily, sounding
much like they were saying:

I wonder how many double-decker buses have passed that tree without
hitting it?

Since I suspect it is rather considerable, I think we can discount
the positioning of the tree itself - unless it moved recently.

Trees do move, in the sense that they grow, and sometimes they
gradually lean to one side. During this process the risk of a bus
hitting it also grows, so the fact that lots of buses passed it
previously without hitting it is not a reason to discount the
position of the tree as a factor.

How rapidly would it'd have to move in order to do that much damage
to a bus following a previously safe trajectory?

There are many trees in London which overhang the kerb, or which would hit a
bus driven very close to the kerb because of the camber of the road surface.
Normal downwards movement as the foliage grows in spring could be enough to
make contact with a bus driven unusually close to the kerb on a trajectory
which was previosly safe.

The amount of damage caused to the bus, and the fatal injuries suffered by
the unfortunate pedestrian, seem to have arisen from the offending branch
becoming caught up in the bus instead of being brushed aside, possibly
entangled in the protective rail in front of the upper deck window, which
one photo shows as broken.
--
Richard J.
(to email me, swap 'uk' and 'yon' in address)