A man has been arrested in connection with the notorious 2017 'Putney Pusher' incident, where a woman was pushed into the path of a bus on Putney Bridge, south-west London. The Metropolitan Police announced on Monday that a 44-year-old man had been detained on suspicion of attempted grievous bodily harm, nearly seven years after the event.
The incident, which occurred on 5 May 2017, gained significant public attention due to widely circulated CCTV footage. The video showed a jogger appearing to shove a 33-year-old woman into oncoming traffic as she walked across the bridge. She narrowly avoided being hit by a 430 bus thanks to the swift actions of its driver, Oliver Salbris, who was subsequently hailed for his heroism.
Mr Salbris recounted to The Sunday Times his belief that he was moments away from a collision. He stated that a rapid swerve was a 'reflex' that prevented severe injury to the woman, and potentially himself. He also expressed a desire for the jogger to be apprehended and to account for his actions.
Following the push, the suspect reportedly jogged back across the bridge approximately 15 minutes later. The victim attempted to confront him, but he allegedly ignored her and continued jogging towards the north side of the River Thames. The Metropolitan Police's initial investigation involved interviewing 50 men and arresting three suspects, though the case was closed in 2018.
The unsolved incident recently became the inspiration for a play titled 'Once Upon a Bridge' by Sonya Kelly, which opened in 2024. The play explored the event from the perspectives of the runner, the victim, and the driver. At the time of the play's opening, the Met had hoped it would encourage anyone with information to come forward, a sentiment echoed by Kelly herself.
The man arrested was reportedly taken into police custody from his £1.4 million home in west London, where he remained at lunchtime on Monday. Police inquiries into the matter are continuing.