A MUM of three who died after she was hurled down a bus when a driver had slammed on his brakes had been ‘fit and well’ before the accident.

Julie Layton, of Gregory Avenue, Weoley Castle, hit her head as she was thrown forward while travelling on a Travel West Midland bus, which caused her spine to snap and left her paralysed.

The 37-year-old housewife suffered the injuries on the number 18 bus in Yardley Wood, on June 25, 2010, Birmingham Coroner’s Court yesterday.

She was with her three children, daughter Stacey, now aged 16, sons Steven and Conor, aged 15 and 12, and friend Emma Walker at the time.

Julie battled for three weeks at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital before her condition deteriorated and she suffered major organ failure on July 22.

The inquest heard that she was walking to her seat when bus driver Riaz Ahmed carried out an emergency stop to avoid hitting a car in front of him.

Mr Ahmed declined to give evidence at the inquest, but a statement he made after the incident was read out.

He stated that the driver of the car stopped suddenly and did not have any brake lights.

But PC Jan Such said this was not the case.

She told the inquest: “The driver said he did not see the brake lights, but the CCTV showed clearly they were working which may cast doubt on the veracity of the bus driver’s account or at least his memory of the event.

“It may be argued that the driver had taken reasonable care even though he moved off before the passengers sat down. He had good vision and was confronted by a hazard and may have reacted late.”