Ex-bus driver says he accidentally hit accelerator instead of brake to send pedestrian flying 45 feet through the air who then got up and went into pub

  • Cheikh Senghor, 40,  also destroyed bus shelter in dramatic collision in Reading
  • Shocking CCTV footage showed lorry driver Simon Smith flying through the air  
  • Mr Smith only suffered minor bone fractures but was psychologically scarred
  • Senghor, of Oxfordshire, admitted dangerous driving but is yet to be sentenced

Cheikh Senghor, 40, pictured at Reading Magistrates's Court today, destroyed a bus shelter in the dramatic high-speed collision

Cheikh Senghor, 40, pictured at Reading Magistrates's Court today, destroyed a bus shelter in the dramatic high-speed collision

A former bus driver today admitted accidentally hitting the accelerator instead of the brake to send a pedestrian flying 45ft through the air.

Cheikh Senghor, 40, of Wallingford, Oxfordshire, also destroyed a bus shelter in the dramatic high-speed collision in a busy part of Reading town centre.

Shocking CCTV footage showed lorry driver Simon Smith flying through the air after being struck by the out-of-control bus before calmly getting up and walking into a pub in June.

Senghor admitted dangerous driving today at Reading Magistrates' Court and was told he was lucky there were not more people in the 'very busy' area.

Mr Smith only suffered minor bone fractures and scratches, but the court heard he was psychologically scarred by the experience and was still off work.

Senghor claimed he had hit the accelerator pedal rather than the brakes by mistake when the crash took place.

He appeared in court with short-cropped hair and wearing jeans and a brown hoodie and kept a stoic expression throughout the hearing.

The bus can be seen approaching the pedestrian who is about to be hit
Shocking CCTV footage showed lorry driver Simon Smith flying through the air after being struck by the out-of-control bus in Reading town centre

Shocking CCTV footage showed lorry driver Simon Smith flying through the air after being struck by the out-of-control bus in Reading town centre

Mr Smith only suffered minor bone fractures and scratches, but the court heard he was psychologically scarred by the experience and was still off work

Mr Smith only suffered minor bone fractures and scratches, but the court heard he was psychologically scarred by the experience and was still off work

Senghor spoke only to confirm his personal details and admit the charge of dangerous driving.

The Purple 17 bus, operated by Reading Buses, was heavily damaged in the crash, which took place on Gun Street in Reading on Saturday, June 24.

Ann Sawyer-Brandish, prosecuting, told the judge that the victim had suffered several fractures and internal bruising.

She added: 'It is a busy area and the vehicle could not be brought under control very quickly. A number of people who were on the bus said it was also travelling at excessive speed.' 

The Purple 17 bus, operated by Reading Buses, was heavily damaged in the crash in June

The Purple 17 bus, operated by Reading Buses, was heavily damaged in the crash in June

The lorry driver got up following the horror crash
He then walked into the pub

The lorry driver got up following the horror crash (left) before walking into the pub (right)

Alexander Dos Santos, defending, said the type of bus being driven had a tendency to surge forward when drivers hit the accelerator pedal.

Senghor, of of Wallingford, Oxfordshire, admitted dangerous driving at court today

Senghor, of of Wallingford, Oxfordshire, admitted dangerous driving at court today

He said Senghor wanted to send his apologies to the victim, adding: 'Rather than dealing with it appropriately by hitting the brakes, he hit the wrong pedal and instead the bus accelerated.'

District Judge Davinder Lachhar said the problem with the buses would have been familiar to those driving them and rejected that this was a mitigating factor.

She said: 'It is a very busy part of the area and it is lucky that not more than one person were there. There is high culpability here I would have thought.'

She told Senghor: 'You will be remanded on unconditional bail to appear in Reading Crown Court for sentencing as my powers are insufficient.'

At the time of the crash, Mr Smith told The Sun: 'I heard some banging behind me and I was hit from behind. Then you can see what happened from the CCTV. 

'The video says it all. I didn't tense because I didn't know it was coming. After it I just wanted to get somewhere safe. I feel very lucky to be alive.'

Simon Smith (pictured) said he felt 'very luck to be alive' following the collision in June

Simon Smith (pictured) said he felt 'very luck to be alive' following the collision in June

Mr Smith walked into the Purple Turtle pub after the crash. Its co-owner Daniel Fraifeld said at the time: 'I think he pretty much got up, brushed himself down and then an ambulance came and took him to be checked.

'He got looked over and didn't have any lasting injuries - but he's covered in scrapes and bruises. He then got released from the hospital and I think he just went for a pint to relax.'

Mr Fraifield also told BBC South Today: 'It looks like the bus has gone out of control - it's almost gone into turbo, it's just suddenly sped up, doubled its speed if not more. Absolutely shocking.

'I just can't believe that Simon got up, dusted himself up and walked away from it. It's a miracle that he's alive.

'We called Simon a few hours after the day of the accident and, yeah, he was in a lot of pain. He was still in shock basically, couldn't believe what had happened.'