A WOMAN who fell in the road and was ignored by a bus driver and another motorist was killed when a third car ploughed into her.

Police say CCTV shows a bus and another car slow down then drive around the woman, who fell as she crossed Bow Street, close to Crown Street and the multi-storey car park, at 10pm on Sunday.

A third vehicle — a Ford Focus — then hit the woman. The driver pulled up on Back Bridge Street and abandoned the car.

A 22-year-old man from Atherton later contacted police and was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. He remains in police custody for questioning.

PC Neil Pennington from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit said: "From viewing the CCTV it appears the woman falls backwards as she crossed the road and doesn't get up.

"A single decker bus and two vehicles slow down and drive around her before the Ford Focus collided with her.

"We are urging the drivers of these vehicles and anyone else who may have seen the woman prior to the collision, to contact us so we can establish the full circumstances leading to her death."

Police said they could not give an age for the woman as she had not yet been formally identified.

Stacey Shakespeare, aged 25, from Bolton, who works at the nearby Elephant and Castle in Deansgate said said she was shocked by the incident.

She said: "My aunt and uncle were injured down there and you get a lot of buses and cars coming around the corner but there is a crossing.

"It is shocking. You here of people getting hurt but not dying."

Readers of The Bolton News also posted comments on Facebook yesterday reacting to the news, with some criticising the first two drivers who drove around the woman.

William Horrocks said: "If the first vehicles to pass her had bothered to stop and attend to her then maybe she might still be alive now."

Craig Bullough said: "Who ever was driving the vehicles that just drove round the poor women — I hope they can live with themselves."

Samantha Dixon said: "Why didn't the bus driver stop the bus in the middle of the road to stop cars colliding with her? And the person in the car too — what a disgrace."

Diane Bird said: "What a sad reflection of today to drive round someone in the road and not stop and at the very least alert an emergency service."

Hayley Zoe Jackson said: "How can people drive past and leave a woman lying in the road?"

Brad Edge walked past the scene of the incident with some friends around 11am and then later at around 3.52am this morning, Monday February 1.

“As we walked past at around quarter to 11 there was no sign that anything had happened,” he said.

“When we walked past later, the police were everywhere around the scene but it looked very earie and quiet.

"The police looked like they were reconstructing the incident.

“We didn’t see the girl. My thoughts are with her family and friends.”

Police are appealing for information and witnesses.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 0161 856 4741 or the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.