In May 2017, CCTV footage captured a bus driver swerving to avoid a woman on Putney Bridge, located in southwest London. A jogger had pushed the woman into the path of an oncoming bus.
She fell backward onto the road while he continued jogging as if nothing had happened. There was no argument or any apparent interaction, just a violent shove.
The bus came to a screeching halt, and the passengers spilled out to help her. She was bruised and shaken up but, astonishingly, not critically wounded.
Eventually, the jogger made his way to the opposite side of the bridge. The woman confronted him, but he ignored her and was completely unfazed.
A police investigation was launched in August 2017. Over the course of the investigation, officers looked at more than 50 suspects. Three different men were arrested for the crime, but they were all released without charge.
The suspect was described as a white male in his 30s, with brown eyes and short brown hair. The CCTV footage of the attempted murder went viral, and photos of the man were all over the internet.
Yet, somehow, no one could identify the culprit. He became known as the Putney Bridge Pusher.
The woman, who was 33 years old at the time of the incident, managed to avoid being seriously injured. The bus driver reacted in the nick of time, swerving a split second before impact. His quick thinking and reflexes prevented what could have easily turned into a fatal tragedy.
The case closed in 2018, leaving behind more questions than answers. It’s baffling how a man could attempt something so reckless and then walk away from it unscathed. His motives were unclear. Perhaps it was intentional, or he had a sudden lapse in judgment.
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Of course, people on the internet came up with their own theories, as they so often do. Some thought he might have mental health issues, while others believed he was just an entitled jerk who wanted the walkway to himself.
One online conspiracy theory stated that the man was an assassin. His target was the woman, but he had to make it seem like it was a random attack.
Well, nearly nine years later, there’s finally been a development in the case. Today, the Metropolitan Police arrested a 44-year-old man on suspicion of being the Putney Bridge Pusher.
The suspect is reportedly a multi-millionaire banker with connections to the British royal family. He was detained at his $1.8 million dollar home in west London and is a director at a private bank, as well as a decorated former British Army officer who served in several major conflicts. He remains in police custody as inquiries continue.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Oliver Salbris, the bus driver on that fateful day, said, “Whenever I’m on the bridge, I look very carefully at the pedestrians on the [sidewalk], I just can’t help it. I wouldn’t say it haunts me, but it’s not something I can easily forget.”
“I’m glad my reactions were quick on that day, or it would have ended very differently, both for me and the woman who was pushed. Her head was only a few [inches] from the bus and the wheel, even after I swerved to avoid her.”
Why do you think the Putney Bridge Pusher did what he did?
By Emily Chan
Emily Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in... More about Emily Chan
