A BUS driver on trial over the death of a pensioner in a town centre crash looked “blank” after his single-decker went “fast as hell” and ploughed into three shoppers, witnesses said.

Michael Gilbert is accused of taking a safety “shortcut” before he mowed down the women on Northgate, Darlington – killing Eileen Brennan, 85.

A jury at Teesside Crown Court has heard that the 53-year-old driver stepped on the accelerator instead of the brake and careered across the busy street just before 11am.

It is alleged that Mr Gilbert’s disregard for his training resulted in the death of Mrs Brennan and left Tracy Naisbitt with life-altering injuries.

Mrs Naisbitt’s mother Trudy Bowe was also struck by the bus in July 2016, but “miraculously” suffered only minor injuries, jurors have heard.

On the second day of the trial, a number of statements were read from people on the Arriva number 2 service, as well as Mrs Naisbitt and Mrs Bowe.

One man sitting at the front of the bus and using crutches told how he was thrown to the floor and got a leg trapped under a seat.

“Everything felt all right then all of a sudden the bus just flew,” he said in his statement. “I have never known a bus gather so much speed as it did. It went quick as hell.

“Before the crash, someone shouted ‘oh my god’. I don’t know if this was the driver or someone else.”

Another passenger described the driver as “agitated” because there was another bus in the stop, and nobody was getting off or on.

She said Mr Gilbert remarked: “It’s just stood there. It’s ridiculous. It’s the only town without a bus station.”

She said: “I don’t know if he was talking to the gentleman with the crutches or to himself, but I could clearly hear what he was saying.”

A third’s statement read: “The bus jolted forward suddenly, veered to the right and crashed into the Halifax. It was an unusual speed of acceleration away from the stop.”

Prosecutor Simon Reevell said as part of his training, Mr Gilbert had been taught to put the bus into neutral whenever he stopped, which would prevent it from surging forward in the way it did.

“The prosecution case is very simple,” said Mr Reevell. “If you are taught a safe way of doing something and if you take a shortcut that is dangerous and cause something dangerous to happen then you are guilty of dangerous driving.”

Mr Gilbert, of New Row, Middleton St George, near Darlington, denies causing Mrs Brennan’s death by dangerous driving and causing Mrs Naisbitt serious injury by dangerous driving.

Mrs Naisbitt was trapped by her right foot under the bus for about 40 minutes after it ran her over and crashed into the Halifax bank.

She told in her statement how she has had to have a skin graft on her foot from her left thigh, and a consultant plastic surgeon said she will be scarred for life.

Mrs Naisbitt explained how the bus was heading directly towards her, and she put her hands over her head to protect herself from the impact.

In her statement, Mrs Bowe said her memory was “quite vague”, but said: “I presumed I was going to get run over. It all happened so quick.”

She suffered a cut right elbow which needed three stitches, severe bruising to her right arm, and cuts and bruises to both knees.

The police officer who arrived at the scene and spoke to Mr Gilbert said: “He explained the bus just took off, and he tried to brake. He kept repeating ‘I could not stop the bus’.”

A fellow bus driver, who helped in the aftermath, said: “Michael looked in shock and was staring down. He looked very blank.

“I asked if he was all right, and he said he didn’t know. He told me he was in shock and didn’t know what went on.

“He said the bus surged forward, he tried to press hard on the foot brake, but it would not slow.”

Another passenger who got on in the town centre said the bus pulled away before she had a chance to sit down.

She said the driver said after the crash: “The bus took off without me.”

The case continues.