Family of a teenager killed by a bus while walking down a city street face more pain as they wait weeks to find out if the driver broke the law.
Tia Cameron, 18, was struck by a city council bus and pinned against a building wall just after 5pm on March 8, 2024 in Brisbane's CBD.
Her family on Tuesday cried as graphic video of the collision was played in Brisbane Magistrates Court at a one-day hearing for the bus driver, Lindsay Francis Selby.
The 70-year-old pleaded not guilty to driving without due care and attention causing death.
Magistrate Aaron Simpson heard conflicting arguments as to whether Selby was criminally inattentive or involved in a tragic accident during closing statements.
The prosecution had failed to prove their allegation that Selby did not brake as he had not seen a black SUV in front of him as he turned downhill, defence barrister Saul Holt said.
"We will just never know why he was unable to brake," Mr Holt said.
Selby told police after the crash he had thought he was "going to slam into four lanes of traffic".
"I was trying to stop and it's not stopping," Selby said.
"I moved the wheel across to the left and steered into the building. Unfortunately there was somebody in the way that I didn't see."
Selby was truthful when he told police he could have caught his foot under the pedal or on the steering column, Mr Holt said.
Both the prosecution and defence agreed Selby turned on a busy street and failed to apply the brakes.
Selby swerved to the left before mounting a footpath at 23km/h and striking multiple pedestrians.
There was enough time and distance for Selby to have safely stopped the bus before impact, Mr Holt accepted.
Selby made a "tragic decision" to swerve to avoid hitting vehicles in front of him before the crash, Mr Holt said.
A blameless accident was not the only explanation for Ms Cameron's death, prosecutor Susan Hedge said.
"The other explanation was he was careless. People make mistakes. People make errors," she said.
Selby should be found guilty as his conduct behind the wheel as a professional driver fell below the reasonable standard, Mr Simpson heard.
There is no jury and the magistrate will determine the verdict.
Mr Simpson was shown CCTV footage of Selby turning the bus away from the train station at an intersection before swerving onto the footpath.
Video from a security camera inside the bus then showed Selby steering with one hand in the seconds before the crash.
Members of Ms Cameron's family were in court on Tuesday and sobbed when the footage showed Selby drive into a group of pedestrians walking down the street.
The 18-year-old could be seen on the video through the doors and windows of the bus as the vehicle trapped people up against a wall.
The video showed how Selby was relaxed and making no effort to brake until a split second before he hit the kerb, Ms Hedge said.
Mr Holt argued the video showed Selby had a clear view of the road ahead of him and would have instinctively tried to brake as he approached other cars and the footpath.
Queensland police forensic crash officers testified that they had no trouble engaging the brakes on Selby's bus during testing after the crash, even when one officer wore the bus driver's shoes.
Ms Cameron had just left a nearby salon before the crash.
The teenager died at the scene, while four bus passengers needed treatment for minor injuries.
Mr Simpson said he would reserve his decision and hand down his written verdict on October 30.
Neither Ms Cameron's family nor Selby made a comment as they left the court building.
