Man hit by bus as he crosses road - before dusting himself down and walking into pub

A man was knocked down by an out-of-control bus - before miraculously getting up and walking into a pub.

Simon Smith said he is lucky to be alive after being struck by the double-decker as he crossed the road in Reading.

CCTV footage shows him being knocked off his feet from behind and thrown around 20ft by the bus that mounted the pavement.

Incredibly, Mr Smith walked away with only minor injuries. Seconds after the crash, he is seen standing up unaided, dusting himself down - and walking into the entrance of a bar.

Reading Buses said it is investigating the "awful incident", which happened at about 9.10am on Saturday. The driver has been "taken off the road" pending the investigation.

Mr Smith was crossing Gun Street when he was knocked down by the Number 17 bus that had veered onto the pavement.

The vehicle also hit street furniture before hitting the pedestrian, who looked over his shoulder towards the commotion just before he was hit.

After behind thrown through the air, he landed outside The Purple Turtle Bar.

CCTV footage from the venue shows Mr Smith standing up, apparently having suffered little injury.

He walks into the entrance of the bar before being tended to by around a dozen concerned members of the public.

A man wearing a Reading Buses top can also be seen rushing over to the victim.

The bus itself had its windscreen shattered following the impact, before coming to a halt a short distance away.

The bar is not believed to have been open at the time.

Mr Smith suffered only minor injuries and said he feels "lucky to be alive", the BBC reported. 

AThames Valley Police spokesman said the road was closed for about two hours. No arrests have been made.

A Reading Buses spokesman confirmed the pedestrian was injured, but said he was not seriously hurt.

He said the driver had been "taken off the road" while an investigation into the incident was carried out.

The Reading Buses spokesman added: "We are obviously shocked by the incident as well as the very graphic footage that has been shared a number of times.

"Thankfully, the pedestrian does not have any major injuries and there were no major injuries to passengers on the bus.

"The incident is the subject of an ongoing internal investigation as well as an investigation by the police with whom we are working and sharing footage from our on-board CCTV, so it would be inappropriate for us to comment or speculate on this until it has run its course.

"We can assure the public that all our drivers are incredibly professional and trained to the highest standard. Our buses receive regular checks by our award-winning engineering department.

"We send our regrets to those affected, especially the pedestrian injured in the street and hope that he is recovering from his injuries."