Bedford bus station death 'immediate'

The redeveloped Bedford bus station opened in March 2015

A woman "suffered catastrophic and immediately fatal injuries" when she was hit by a lorry at a bus station, a court has heard.

Nicola Berridge, 53, had just stepped off a service in Bedford when she was knocked down by the eight-wheel HGV.

The truck which hit her was delivering sand during redevelopment works at the bus station, St Albans Crown Court heard.

Both a bus operator and a lorry company have denied health and safety offences.

Ms Berridge, from Potton Road, Biggleswade, suffered multiple injuries when she was struck by the DAF lorry just before 08:00 GMT, on 13 February 2015, the court heard.

Prosecutor Valerie Charbit told jurors the bus station site was frequently congested and there was a problem with contractors' vehicles being parked in the working part of the station.

'Risk to pedestrians'

She said driver Shkelqim Llaveshi had stopped his four-axle HGV partially straddling a pedestrian crossing.

Ms Berridge walked between two buses - including the one she had just alighted - and on to the crossing in front of the parked lorry, Ms Charbit said.

"The bus which she had had got off began to pull out. Around the same time Mr Llaveshi in the lorry, checked his mirrors and in moving forward slowly he ran her over," Ms Charbit said.

"He did not see Ms Berridge, mostly likely because she was outside his field of vision."

Mr Llaveshi has not been prosecuted, the jury was told.

Both Cambus Limited, trading as Stagecoach, and DJT Surfacing Limited, "failed to take all reasonably practicable steps to minimise the risks posed to pedestrians so that people could move safely around the bus station," Ms Charbit said.

Both companies have pleaded not guilty to failing to discharge a duty to non-employees under the Health and Safety at Work Act between 25 February 2013 and 14 February 2015.

Bedford Borough Council pleaded guilty last year to breaching its duty under the Health and Safety at Work Act and will be sentenced at the end of the trial.

The trial continues.