Center Parcs Worker Dies After Being Hit by Electric Buggy at Low Speed

A Center Parcs employee died after the bicycle she was riding was struck at approximately 9 mph by an electric buggy driven by a colleague, an inquest has heard. Penny Bulpitt, 67, sustained a severe head injury after being hit from behind on a one-way road at the holiday park in Woburn Forest, near Ampthill in Bedfordshire.

A bin lorry driver who witnessed the incident described how Mrs. Bulpitt, a housekeeping team leader, was thrown into the air despite the slow speed of the converted golf cart.

Maintenance worker John Davies stated that he did not have sufficient time to take evasive action before his buggy collided with Mrs. Bulpitt as he turned onto the road on September 22, 2023. "My impression was that she was turning towards me," he said in a statement read at the hearing. "I was too close to her to have time to take evasive action, by braking or turning."

Mr. Davies, 67, said he was left in a state of shock and devastation by the incident. Mrs. Bulpitt's orange work bicycle, used for carrying items such as towels and linens, had a trailer attached to the rear. Helmets were available for staff but were not always worn.

The electric buggy Mr. Davies was operating had a speed limiter set at 10 mph and a large metal cabinet at the rear for tool storage. The accident occurred outside a row of guest lodges on a road known to staff as "Penny Lane."

A Center Parcs manager described Mrs. Bulpitt, who had worked at the site for eight years, as a "very popular" member of staff. Her family issued a tribute stating she was "loved by everyone who knew her."

In February, Mr. Davies was cleared of causing death by careless driving at Luton Crown Court. The trial judge noted that a police constable's evidence indicated that "a careful and competent driver might not have seen Mrs. Bulpitt," concluding there was insufficient evidence to proceed.

In a statement following Mrs. Bulpitt's death, Center Parcs said: "We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of one of our team at Woburn Forest. Our thoughts are with her family, friends and her colleagues at this time. We are in contact with her family and are offering support to them and any of our colleagues at Woburn Forest who have been affected. Center Parcs is working closely with all the relevant authorities following this incident."

The Woburn Forest Resort is one of six Center Parcs sites in the UK and Ireland, having opened in 2014. The first Center Parcs opened in Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire, in 1987.