This footage shows a woman’s wheelchair being crushed by a bungling busman while she tries to board, with the driver later admitting he saw the disabled woman but then “forgot about her”.

The incident took place in Cariacica, which is a city in the state of Espirito Santo in south-eastern Brazil, on Monday, 31st January.

The victim has been named as Gisele de Oliveira Mota, 34, and she claims the Transcol bus driver saw her on the street waiting to get on but started the vehicle anyway.

The busman, who has not been named, reportedly later claimed he had forgotten she was there.

Footage of the incident shows the woman in the wheelchair waiting to board the bus, which then stops in front of the woman, apparently so she can board it.

The footage then cuts to the bus suddenly shooting forwards and hitting the woman’s wheelchair, at least partly crushing it.

The woman can be seen stuck in the wheelchair, which is sandwiched between a concrete platform and the vehicle, and passersby rush forwards to try to help her.

The bus driver, meanwhile, appears to activate the doors to the vehicle, which spring open.

But the woman can hardly do anything about it, given she appears trapped in her mangled wheelchair, which, in turn, is trapped under the bus.

She was taken to hospital and is quoted in local media as having said, upon being discharged: “I stopped in front of the pharmacy to buy medicine. The driver stopped behind me and the passengers got off. He saw me and said he later forgot I was there. And that’s when the bus caught my chair, even though I’d moved it right over to the side.”

Gisele is currently waiting for the company that operates the Transcol bus network to buy her another wheelchair and cover her medical expenses.

She said: “I’m still in shock. It’s game over for my chair, they’ve arranged a temporary chair for me. The company said it would provide support and assistance, so let’s see.”

Gisele’s mother, Zilma de Oliveira, criticised the unevenness of the area’s pavements, which reportedly make it impossible for people in wheelchairs to use them, forcing them to stick to the tarmac.

She also blasted the driver, saying: “There was no way she could get on on her own. She was waiting for someone to help her up the ramp. He [the bus driver] was working, yes, but where was his attention at that time?”

The police have urged the victim to file a report over the incident, which would allow them to open a case and investigate the driver’s actions.