A witness to a fatal crash has described to a court the moment he saw a car “just drive off” after hitting a pedestrian at a crossing.

Bill Roache, 72, was killed while crossing New Road, Chatham in August 2020.

Naomi North, who was driving the Ford Fiesta which struck him, failed to stop after the tragedy and it was her sister who contacted police a day later.

The 30-year-old, of Church Road, Swanscombe, has pleaded not guilty to causing his death by dangerous driving.

She went on trial at Maidstone Crown Court yesterday but the start of her hearing was delayed following a suspected gas leak which brought the court to a standstill yesterday.

Judge Oliver Saxby KC apologised on behalf of the court which left hearings in eight courts unable to be heard and caused jury members, lawyers, and other staff to be sent home as engineers searched for the fault.

When proceedings resumed, prosecutor Christiaan Moll told the court how at 10.52pm on August 10 2020, North was driving her car along the 30mph dual carriageway heading from Chatham to Rochester.

"Mr Roach was knocked down as he was using the pedestrian crossing,” he said

“He already crossed the north carriageway and was crossing the south carriageway when he was hit by the Fiesta."

The accident was caught on CCTV and shown to the jury which showed the Ford Fiesta had been travelling on average between 29 to 33 mph.

The prosecutor added the car's speed was not a relevant factor but he claimed the lights on the crossing had turned to flashing amber three and a half seconds before the accident.

After being thrown into the air by the collision and smashing the windscreen, the Fiesta failed to stop.

Mr Moll told the jury: "The question as to why Ms North did not stop is one of the most important questions you will have to consider."

Matthew Henley, who lived nearby, told the jury how he saw the crash as he sat in his flat.

He said it was about 10.50 pm and he was "scrolling through Facebook" and looking out of his front window.

"I saw this gentleman earlier walking towards Chatham early using sticks,” he told the court. “I saw him again walking Gillingham-bound. I saw him cross the road to the central reservation.

“I looked up and saw him using the crossing. I saw a car about 10ft away and thought to myself he's going to get hit.

"To put it bluntly I saw him fly into the air and land on the ground.”

"The car just drove off after swerving...it wobbled and then carried on straight. It was a Ford hatchback," he added.

It was the following day on August 11, police received a call from North's sister and the driver was later interviewed by officers.

North is alleged to have told police she had visited her two sisters in Strood and Gravesend.

The prosecutor told the jury the driver said she had left the Leysdown area on the Isle of Sheppey at 10.15pm and "just didn't see" Mr Roach.

"She panicked and just drove off, spending the night in a park near her home,” he said.

Mr Moll told the court North claims to have lost her mobile phone before walking nine miles to her sister's home in Gravesend.

She claimed she had been listening to Smooth Radio and then remembered her windscreen smashing before looking into her rearview mirror and seeing someone lying on the floor.

North denies causing Mr Roache’s death by dangerous driving.

The trial continues.