The jogger who pushed a woman into traffic may have targeted his victim, according to the bus driver hailed a hero for swerving out of her way.
Oliver Salbris, 45, managed to steer his double-decker London bus away from the 33-year-old at the last second, missing her by inches.
But a month after police released footage of the incident on Putney Bridge, the culprit has still not been identified.
Speaking for the first time about the attack, Mr Salbris said the jogger had singled out the woman. ‘The consequences could have been terrible for her – and for me,’ he said.
Swerved: Driver Oliver Slabris’s quick-thinking saved the life of a woman pushed into the road
Asked if the push was intentional, he said: ‘Yes – unless he’s a blind jogger.’ Police have refused to rule out the possibility that the victim, who has not been identified, was known to the attacker dubbed ‘the Putney Pusher’.
CCTV footage of the attack in May showed the woman walking along the bridge heading to work at 7.40am with the jogger coming towards her.
As he passed her on the pavement, the man shoved the victim into the path of Mr Salbris’s number 430 bus.
She fell head-first into the road but Mr Salbris, whose vehicle was travelling at about 12mph, managed to swerve out of the way.
The father-of-two, who moved to Britain from France in 2005, said: ‘I’ve never seen anything like this before.
‘I was focusing on the road and I just saw the collision between the jogger and the woman.
‘It was a fairly close call. I thought I was going to touch her. If I hadn’t swerved, I would have smashed her head. It was reflex – and I would say thanks to God.’
Mr Salbris said the jogger had chosen to push the woman rather than a man walking directly in front of her, adding: ‘He looked like he was doing it on purpose. He needs to be caught and to explain himself. He needs to be prosecuted.’
Shocking CCTV revealed the moment a jogger pushed a woman in front of a bus on Putney Bridge (pictured)
The driver then went to help the victim. He said: ‘She was sitting on the floor. She was just in shock. She was crying. I offered her my help.’
The jogger carried on and, incredibly, returned 15 minutes later, running past his victim in the opposite direction towards Fulham, where he is thought to live.
After a police appeal last month a 41-year-old American businessman was arrested at his £2million flat – but proved he had been in the US at the time of the attack.
Another man was also arrested before promptly being cleared of any involvement. Reacting to suggestions that he was a hero, Mr Salbris, who has been nominated for an award as London’s top bus driver, told The Sunday Times: ‘Every bus driver is a hero. It’s a job with a lot of responsibility and stress.’
Police are analysing CCTV from the area, and are also interested in data amassed by the Strava website that joggers can use to track their route.
Questions that remain unanswered
On the run: Footage of the jogger
Why did police wait so long to go public?
The incident took place on May 5, but the CCTV footage was not released by police until three months later. Appealing for help earlier, when the events were still fresh in witnesses’ minds, could have been crucial.
Was the jogger a tourist?
If the man had been in London only for a visit, that may explain why he is still yet to be identified.
Was this a targeted attack?
It is unclear whether the jogger was picking on a stranger at random or deliberately attacking someone he knew, even if his victim did not know him.
Who was the victim?
The woman, 33, has still not made her identity known.
Why are there no more CCTV images of the jogger, tracking his route?
Despite intensive CCTV coverage in London, there has not been any more footage released – giving the public further details of the culprit’s movements or a clearer picture of his face.