A UNIVERSITY student hit by a speeding car on a pelican crossing was catapulted through the air "like a rag doll," a jury heard yesterday.

A witness gave the vivid description of the crash during the trial at Manchester Crown Court of Sadakat Hussein, 19, of Beaufort Street, Nelson, who stands accused of causing death by dangerous driving.

Bus driver Leonard Brown said the victim, 19-year-old Jonathan Roberts, was flung about 40 feet when he was hit by the car which was travelling at more than 50mph.

Mr Brown said: "The car hit his legs, the guy went forward and his head hit the windscreen and he was catapulted forward about 14 feet in the air.

"He was somersaulting like a rag doll and landed about 40 feet away. It did my head in."

Hussein has pleaded not guilty to causing death by dangerous driving.

Jonathan was a second-year student at Manchester Metropolitan University studying computer science when he died after the tragedy last March.

He was with a group of pals crossing Oxford Road near the Royal Infirmary when a black Honda Prelude allegedly went through a red light at a pelican crossing and hit him.

The car sped off after the accident and was later found burned out. Hussein was later quizzed and claimed he was being chased by another vehicle an thought he would be killed or seriously hurt.

In evidence Mr Brown said he had stopped his bus at the crossing because the lights were on red.

Then the student began jogging across in front of him and gave him a thumbs up sign for not blocking the crossing.

Mr Brown said the car made no attempt to slow down and he used his radio to call the bus depot to get an ambulance and the police.

The trial continues.