Bus company director hit by bus

The scene in Wellington yesterday after NZ Bus director Tim Brown was hit by a bus. Photo / Sean Gillespie

A director of the bus company running Wellington's bus network is in a serious condition after being hit by one of his own buses.

The incident happened on Willis Street yesterday about 1pm.

Police are investigating reports NZ Bus director Tim Brown stepped out in front of the bus and went under the front wheels and part of the rear wheels.

He is in Wellington Hospital this morning in a serious condition in intensive care.

Brown is a senior executive at infrastructure investment company Infratil, which is the owner of NZ Bus. Brown is also a director of Wellington Airport and was part of the failed campaign to convert Auckland's Whenuapai military airfield into a commercial airport.

"His condition is serious and he is in intensive care in Wellington hospital," Marko Bogoievski, Infratil chief executive, said in a statement. "All our thoughts and prayers are with Tim and his family at this time."

The Wellington-based company acquired NZ Bus 2005 for $252 million. NZ Bus is New Zealand's largest public transport operator with bus services in the Auckland and Wellington. It has about 1,000 buses and 2,000 employees.

It is the second blow for Infratil this year, after company founder Lloyd Morrison died after a long illness in February, aged 54.

It is also latest in a series of incidents where passengers have been hit by buses in central Wellington.

A witness told Fairfax Media Mr Brown went under the front wheel and the first of the rear wheels of the bus.

"The bus stopped and he was jammed between the two wheels so people tried to pull him out of there and applied CPR," Graham McCready said.

Mr McCready said road works on Willis St could have contributed to the crash as there are not many places to cross.

- with BusinessDesk