The death of a teenager hit by a bus in Caister was accidental, an inquest heard yesterday.

Shannon Goodson, 14, from Great Yarmouth, was killed in February as she was walking along Ormesby Road.

At an inquest into the teen's death in Norwich yesterday, coroner Jacqueline Lake heard Shannon was walking close to the edge of the pavement before somehow ending up in the road and being hit by a single-decker bus.

She said: 'It is not known how Shannon came to be in the road, but she did come off the pavement into the road and was struck.'

Shannon had been walking along the road with a group of friends on February 22 when the Sanders coach, which was travelling at around 20mph, hit her.

Paramedics were unable to save Shannon, who died as a result of skull fractures caused by multiple injuries.

Steve Ball, managing director of a vehicle rental company, was driving behind the bus when it hit Shannon and gave evidence at the inquest.

He said: 'I was driving directly behind the bus; in the distance I noticed around four teenagers.

'They were on the kerbside and I immediately took avoidance action, I slowed down and I had my foot on the brake.

'I just prayed at that point that there wasn't going to be someone knocked over.'

The inquest heard the weather conditions were good on the day of the accident, the bus was being driven well within the speed limit of the road and there was no evidence to suggest any foul play.

Summing up, Mrs Lake said the bus driver was not to blame for the tragic accident.

She added: 'He said in his statement that it all happened so quickly there was nothing he could do and I accept that.

'Sadly nothing could be done to save Shannon.'