An Albanian bus driver is on trial after allegedly mowing down a property executive outside London Victoria Station, a court has heard. Mirsime Berisha, 49, has denied one count of causing death by dangerous driving.
Berisha was driving a double-decker bus outside the busy station on January 29, 2024, when it struck Kathleen Finnegan, 56. Prosecutors allege Berisha's driving "fell below what would be expected of a competent and careful driver" in the lead-up to the crash.
After the bus hit Ms. Finnegan and crashed into a bus shed, Berisha reportedly began screaming, "I've killed her," and claimed the vehicle's handbrake had failed. Jurors were told she fainted several times in her seat.
However, forensic collision investigators found "no mechanical defects with the vehicle which could have been a contributory factor to the collision," according to prosecutors. Further testing indicated that the bus "would not have been able to move from rest or continue driving while the park brake was engaged."
Prosecutor Frederick Hookway told Southwark Crown Court that while there was no dispute Berisha was driving the bus and that Ms. Finnegan was killed, the central issue was whether the driving was dangerous, not just careless as the defendant admitted.
Footage played in court showed the No. 13 bus driven by Berisha suddenly veering diagonally at speed. Hookway described the incident as a "short-lived" event where the "error of judgment was so substantial as to be dangerous." He added that the defendant struck a stationary vehicle, failed to steer correctly, and drove into Ms. Finnegan before colliding with a bus shelter.
Witnesses reported hearing Berisha repeatedly say, "I've killed her, she is under the bus," and, "the handbrake didn't work, the bus didn't stop." One witness stated in a statement that Berisha was in "distress" and fainted multiple times, only to regain consciousness and repeat the same words.
It was noted that there were no contributory environmental factors; the weather was overcast but dry and clear, and there were no defects in the road surface.
Ms. Finnegan's family and friends were reportedly in tears as the prosecutor detailed the facts of the case. The trial is ongoing.