Hannah Francis was killed when a bus crashed near Ohakune on July 28, 2018. Photo / Supplied
Hannah Francis was killed when a bus crashed near Ohakune on July 28, 2018. Photo / Supplied
With his out-of-control bus nearing a bridge and passengers screaming, a skifield driver felt he had to crash the vehicle into a roadside barrier or trees.
That's what the bus driver has told an inquest into the death of 11-year-old Hannah Francis.
At the inquest in Auckland, Coroner Brigitte Windley is examining what caused the central North Island crash, and what might prevent a similar tragedy happening in future.
The inquest started on Tuesday and first heard from Hannah's father Matt Francis, who spoke of trying to protect his daughter before losing her.
Hannah Francis is pictured with her dad Matthew, step-mum Christina and step-brothers Joshua Dukeson (left) and Caleb Dukeson (right). Photo / Supplied
Later, the bus driver, who has name suppression, gave evidence about events preceding the Saturday, July 28 crash.
He said some of the roughly 30 passengers in his Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bus screamed as attempts to put the bus in a lower gear kept failing.
The inquest heard the Mitsubishi Fuso driver probably lost control after passing a chain-fitting bay, where motorists stop to attach snow chains to tyres during ski season.
"The brake pedal went straight to the floor again each time," he said.
He said he checked a dashboard air gauge, which was at "10 o'clock" angle instead of its usual 12 o'clock position.
"I was scared at this point as the bus was starting to gain speed - about 60 to 70km/h, which was too fast for this section of road," the driver told the inquest.
The driver said a passenger asked what was wrong, and he replied that the brake wasn't working.
He said he couldn't get the bus into first or second gear even when standing.
Eventually he gave up trying to change gears, after what he said were multiple stymied attempts.
From his knowledge of the road, he realised the bus was approaching a bridge.
"I thought I had to try everything possible to slow the bus.".
"I'm not sure how many times, but I tried crashing [into] the trees," he told the inquest.
He said he then had to consider crashing into a roadside barrier.
"I closed my eyes and when I opened them again my [head] was outside of the bus and my legs were still inside the bus.
"I could feel people standing on my leg as they tried to get out of the bus."
The driver's training and his interviews with police in the crash aftermath were also scrutinised.
He told the inquest a driving course he took in Christchurch did not teach him about different types of bus brakes, but one of his employers did.
Under questioning from David Boldt, counsel assisting the coroner, the driver couldn't give a precise answer on where exactly he started trying to slow down or change down gears.
Members of Hannah's family were at the inquest throughout the day.
