The inquest concluded today
The inquest has concluded into the death of a woman who was struck and killed by a bus on a guided busway in Cambridge. Kathleen Sharon Pitts, 52, died in October 2021.
At an inquest held in Huntingdon on Wednesday (February 25), Coroner Elizabeth Grey for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough told the court that Ms. Pitt was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.
The court heard that her cause of death was due to multiple traumatic injuries. Kathleen was one of three deaths between November 2015 and November 2021 that The Health and Safety Executive prosecuted Cambridgeshire County Council over.
Kathleen Pitts, Jennifer Taylor, and Steve Moir all died on the busway, while two young people suffered serious injuries between November 2015 and November 2021. The council pleaded guilty, and was fined £6 million in April 2025.
Jessie Zhu, a pedestrian who witnessed the fatal incident, presented a statement in court. Ms Zhu explained that the incident ‘happened suddenly’ and that the bus stopped immediately after the collision.
The driver of the bus gave evidence in court, stating he had around 20 passengers on board. He said that he immediately stepped on the breaks and he “could not do anything to avoid the collision”, the coroner’s court heard.
The bus was travelling within the speed limit seconds prior to the incident, the court heard. The inquest also heard that Kathleen had a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia and nine psychiatric admissions. Her most recent occurred in 2013.
The inquest heard that Kathleen called a mental health services provider and was said to have been in “a mental health crisis”. She had further calls with the provider where she had reported suicidal thoughts.
Doctor Meiser-Stedman, a psychiatrist, considered it likely that Kathleen had been ‘experiencing these feelings for months’. However she was not in immediate risk following an assessment. A review found that she was provided with good care overall.
Coroner Grey concluded there was “no evidence” to support a deliberate act based on both physical and mental health – there was also “no evidence” she tripped or fell.