Boy, 4, who died after being hit by bus exterior UK hospital was ‘taking part in chase’
Zaahir Jan Feizi, aged four, was struck by a bus outside the QEQM Hospital in Margate, Kent, on August 7, 2025, and died from his injuries. A coroner has now concluded his death was accidental
Zaahir Jan Feizi was just four when he died(Image: Azaria Green)
An inquest into the tragic death of a four-year-old lad who was struck by a bus outside a Kent hospital has ruled his death as accidental.
Coroner Sarah Clarke delivered the verdict following the hearing into the untimely passing of Zaahir Jan Feizi. Zaahir tragically lost his life after being hit by a bus outside the QEQM Hospital in Margate on August 7, 2025. He had been visiting his grandmother prior to the fatal incident.
Police officers were on the scene just four minutes after receiving the initial call at 4.04pm. Coroner Sarah Clarke informed the inquest that doctors were heavily involved due to the location of the incident. The court was told how an eyewitness saw Zaahir darting from the hospital exit and “playing chase” with another child shortly before the collision.
His mum said he was proud to be Afghan and loved praying(Image: Azaria Green)
Following a post-mortem examination, the coroner stated that Zaahir’s medical cause of death was multiple internal injuries.
The bus driver, referred to throughout the inquest as Witness A, was granted anonymity over concerns for their safety. The coroner said she had weighed up the principles of public interest, open justice and transparency when making the decision, reports Kent Live.
A statement from the Stagecoach Southeast bus driver was read to the court. Witness A said: “I went to work as normal and upon checking my notes, I now know I started at 8.03am. It was just a normal regular day; the weather was clear and not too hot. It was a dry day, and I felt fit and well to be driving. I felt well rested and had sufficient breaks in between my routes. I don’t need any aids to see while driving and haven’t long had my routine work medical, which also clears me to drive as well.”
Zaahir and his mum Azaria(Image: Azaria Green)
The bus had stopped to allow an elderly man to cross the road just before the incident. They added: “I waited for him to cross, which took a little while as he looked poorly. I made sure he was definitely clear of the crossing before I pulled away.”
The driver reported hearing a young voice screaming ‘stop’ almost instantly as they moved off. They then felt “a bump” with the bus and believed they had hit something.
They said: “As I was driving the bus, I know I didn’t see him before I heard the scream. I would have stopped immediately if I had seen someone running into the road or thought there was a hazard I needed to react to.”
Zaahir died as a result of an ‘accident’(Image: Azaria Green)
The bus driver was relocated from the front of the hospital for their safety upon police arrival. They subsequently underwent a series of tests with the officers, including drug-wipe testing and alcohol breath tests. “I passed all of these tests and wasn’t impaired to drive,” they stated.
DC Victoria Steward, from Kent Police’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said footage revealed that the incident unfolded so rapidly that there was “no chance” for the bus to halt. The bus was moving at five miles per hour prior to the impact.
DC Steward stated there was “no way the bus driver would have been able to see him”, particularly due to Zaahir’s height. Kent Police concluded no criminal offences had been committed. “The bus had just pulled away, and Zaahir struck the front of the bus,” she added.
The court heard how an eye witness described the moments leading up to the collision in his witness statement. The coroner informed the court: “He describes turning very quickly as he sees Zaahir, but it happened so quickly there was no chance for anyone to stop him.”
DC Steward informed the inquest that the witness had also observed two children fleeing from the hospital entrance. She stated: “At the same time, he saw two young lads running out of the hospital entrance. They were laughing and playing chase or something similar.”
Zaahir died as a result of an ‘accident’.
The coroner also noted that Zaahir’s mum, Azaria Green, “harbours no resentment despite the many things that were said and lost during the past 12 months”. She remarked it is “entirely understandable the family will have questions about whether something could have been done differently”, adding he was “clearly a much-loved little boy”.
The young lad was described by his mum, Azaria, as a ‘pure and beautiful’ boy. In the aftermath of the incident, she told KentLive: “He was, to me, my best boy. He was a gem, he was strong, he was beautiful, he was pure, he was so clever. He loved to pray.”
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