Man arrested for allegedly pushing woman in front of bus in 2017

Police have arrested a 44-year-old man suspected of pushing a woman into the path of a bus on Putney Bridge in May 2017. The incident, captured on CCTV, showed a jogger appearing to shove the woman, then 33, onto the road. Miraculously, she avoided serious injury.

The Metropolitan Police stated the arrest was made on suspicion of attempted grievous bodily harm. The suspect is currently in police custody. This development follows a previous investigation that was closed in 2018 after three other men were arrested and released without charge. Detectives had identified over 50 individuals of interest before concluding all lines of inquiry were exhausted.

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It was only due to the superb quick reactions of the bus driver that she was not hit by the vehicle.

At the time, Sergeant Mat Knowles highlighted the bus driver's "superb quick reactions" for preventing a potentially fatal collision. The driver, Oliver Salbris, described his swerve as a reflex action, stating, "If I hadn't swerved, I would have smashed her head." He added that the consequences would have been "terrible for her – and for me."

Reports from the time indicated that the jogger reportedly returned across the bridge about 15 minutes later and ignored the victim when she attempted to speak with him. The investigation's reopening and subsequent arrest suggest new information or evidence has emerged.

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If I hadn't swerved, I would have smashed her head. It was reflex. The consequences would have been terrible for her – and for me.