Passenger died after falling from seat when van crashed into taxi at Glasgow junction

A man crashed his van into a taxi, which caused the death of a university lecturer who was a passenger in the cab.

Tomasz Roszak, 45, caused the death of Ann Rosengard, 79, in Glasgow’s Calton on March 25, 2025.

Engineer Roszak was in his work van, which turned right towards a junction into the path of a Mercedes taxi.

Roszak claimed that a driver in another lane had created a gap in the road and waved him forward before he made the turn.

Ms Rosengard – who was not wearing a seatbelt – slipped off her seat onto the floor of the passenger area of the people carrier.

The mum-of-three died three days later from chest and neck injuries in hospital.

Glasgow Sheriff Court heard that her children will “miss her very much.”

Roszak, of Dumbarton, pleaded guilty to causing Ms Rosengard’s death by careless driving.

The court heard that Ms Rosengard was a lecturer at Strathclyde University and had previously lived in South Africa.

She returned to her native Liverpool before she moved to Glasgow.

Ms Rosengard had been an urban sociology and history lecturer to architecture students and became involved in working with housing associations in Glasgow.

Ms Rosengard had been shopping in John Lewis in Glasgow on the day of the incident and took a taxi to go home.

First offender Roszak was in his Citroen Berlingo work van with his two daughters, driving to a dance class.

Both vehicles, which were travelling in opposite directions, were in the area of London Road and Tobago Street.

Prosecutor Paula Wedlock said: “Traffic in the second lane moved off except one vehicle that waited, creating a gap.

“Roszak turned right and passed the vehicle, which had stopped.

“As he entered the lane, he drove in the path of the oncoming taxi.

“Both vehicles applied their brakes immediately, and a minor collision occurred.”

The front offside of the taxi hit the front nearside of Roszak’s vehicle. Both vehicles were within the 30-mile speed limit.

Ms Wedlock added: “The collision caused Ms Rosengard to slip off her seat and fall into the passenger compartment of the taxi.

“The emergency services were contacted, and Roszak sat with her on the floor of the taxi until they arrived.”

Ms Rosengard was initially conscious, breathing and making conversation as she was taken to hospital.

Her injuries were initially thought to be life-changing rather than life-threatening.

However, Ms Rosengard developed pneumonia, and her condition deteriorated. She passed away on March 28.

A post-mortem stated that her cause of death was “complications of neck and chest injuries in keeping with being the passenger of a road traffic collision.”

John Scullion KC, defending, told the court: “My client’s position is that a driver signalled to him that it was safe to turn right, which was an error.

“He braked as soon as he saw the taxi, and as a result of the manoeuvre, a collision took place, which caused minor damage to both vehicles.

“The taxi driver was unaware that Ms Rosengard had slipped from her seat and was injured in the car.

“My client accepts full responsibility and does not seek to place blame on anyone else.

“It does fall upon me to observe that, but for the fact that Ms Rosengard was not wearing her seatbelt, it seems like this is a case she would not have been injured in the way she was.”

After her death, a number of tributes were paid to Ms Rosengard.

David Bookbinder, director at the Glasgow and West of Scotland Forum of Housing Associations (GWSF), said: “This is such sad news. I first met Ann after starting at SFHA in 1993. She was incredibly modest about everything she did, including her research work and, of course, the key role she played in bringing Rutherglen and Cambuslang HA into being in the 1980s. She was just a really lovely person.”

Eddie Warde, principal officer within Glasgow City Council’s Housing and Regeneration Services, said he drew on Ann’s dissertation for his own studies, adding that he “found her to be helpful and interesting and, of course, knowledgeable company”.

The sentence was deferred pending background reports until next month by Sheriff Lorraine Glancy KC, who granted Roszak bail and disqualified him from driving in the meantime.