The husband of a 44-year-old woman run over and killed by a bus in Gravesend has blamed the driver for her death.

Marcela Petrasova was dragged underneath the single decker vehicle after she stepped out into the road in Overcliffe at just after 3.30pm on September 23.

At an inquest into her death held at Gravesend Old Town Hall yesterday (January 8), Mrs Petrasova’s husband Arpad questioned why driver Anthony Field did not manage to stop before hitting her.

The Slovakian-born shop assistant died at the scene from multiple injuries having stepped off a traffic island outside Iceland attempting to cross the westbound lane from north to south.

Through an interpreter Mr Petrasova told investigating officer PC Mark Chaplehow, giving evidence at the inquest, that he "did not accept" Mr Field had no time to react after first seeing Mrs Petrasova in the road.

Referring to CCTV footage of the incident he said: "I have seen a video and from what I have seen, in my opinion, I don’t understand it at all.

"I think it is the fault of the driver.

"He couldn’t stop, he just didn’t see her in my opinion."

Forensic investigator PC Chaplehow replied that he "respected [Mr Petrasova’s] opinion", but that Mr Field "simply did not have time" to stop before hitting Mrs Petrasova.

The 480 bus, on its way eastbound to Gravesend town centre, had been travelling in the opposing westbound lane and not the bus lane.

This is because Mr Field, 64, of Baltic Wharf, Gravesend, had hoped to save time by pulling out past the traffic island and using the empty lane instead of waiting in the bus lane for the lights to change.

The driver, who has been with bus company Arriva since 1976, said this was common practice among his colleagues when the road was quiet.

Having crossed the bus lane Mrs Petrasova, who lived in Gravesend, failed to look right before stepping off the traffic island and into the path of the bus, which was travelling at 15mph, the inquest heard.

The impact shattered the windscreen on the front nearside of the vehicle and she was dragged 12.9 metres along the road before coming to rest, PC Chaplehow said.

Paramedics pronounced her dead at just after 4pm.

Mr Field and Mark Noyes, who was one of the 25 passengers on board at the time, both gave evidence at the hearing.

Coroner Roger Hatch said: "It is apparent having heard the evidence of Mr Noyes and Mr Field that Mrs Petrasova had stepped off the kerb into the path of the bus and there was no action the driver could have taken to avoid this happening."

He recorded a verdict of death by road traffic collision.