Katelyn Dawson: Fatal crash driver has 'no memory' of collision

Katelyn Dawson was waiting for a school bus on the morning of the crash

A driver who crashed into a bus stop and killed a 15-year-old schoolgirl has told an inquest he has no memory of the incident.

Katelyn Dawson was killed as she waited for a school bus on Wakefield Road, in Huddersfield, on 10 January 2018.

An inquest into her death is being held at Bradford Coroner's Court.

Richard Brooke, 57, was not prosecuted as he is believed to have suffered a medical episode while at the wheel, the inquest has previously been told.

Mr Brooke, from Fenay Bridge, in Huddersfield, began giving evidence to the hearing on Monday.

Appearing via videolink, he looked visibly upset when he was shown CCTV footage of the crash, telling the hearing it was the first time he had seen the footage and had no recollection of what had happened.

'Tragedy'

As members of Katelyn's family watched on, Mr Brooke told the court he had been taking prescribed antibiotics for a cold, sweats and a wheezy chest in the two days leading up to the incident.

He said he had felt fine to drive and "in control" that morning, but, after dropping his son off at school, said he had begun to feel "nauseous and got tunnel vision" as he returned home along Wakefield Road.

He described feeling a sensation of "falling forwards" and that "something didn't feel right".

When questioned by his legal representative, Austin Welch, Mr Brookes said he was not told to avoid driving while taking antibiotics.

Mr Brooke was then read a witness statement from one of the first people on the scene after the crash, in which two other people were also injured.

The witness described hearing Mr Brooke "screaming" and asking "where am I and what's happened?".

He also told the witness he felt "dizzy" and said that if he had hurt any children he would "not be able to live his life."

Mr Brooke told the inquest he did not recall the conversation or seeing anyone at the bus stop before the crash.

He went on to say he "could not imagine the hurt" Katelyn's parents, Colin and Angela, had been through, calling it "a tragedy all round".

He added that he would have done "anything" to prevent what happened.

Last week a witnesses who had been following Mr Brooke's car, said they had seen the vehicle swerve before it "shot through the red lights like a rocket" before it crashed into the bus stop.

On Monday, Mr Welch read out a statement from a road safety expert who said there was no safe place for Mr Brooke to stop after he was taken ill as he passed through the traffic lights.

The inquest continues.