A quiet shopping trip turned to horror for elderly friends when their minibus hurtled off the road and crashed.

The pensioners feared for their lives when the vehicle lurched across the path of oncoming traffic and careered on to a verge yards from a railway embankment.

The bus hired for a trip to Harrogate ground to a halt in bushes, leaving the women bruised and shocked.

Ambulance crews took three of the 16 friends from Keighley Pensioners' Action Group to Harrogate District Hospital.

Miraculously, none was seriously hurt and they were discharged that day.

Passenger Nancy Wilkinson, 83, said the cause of the accident was a mystery.

"We got to about three miles outside Harrogate when suddenly the bus veered from the left to the right side of the road," said the retired nurse.

"I was sitting directly behind the driver. He was flung from his seat to the passenger side door and we stopped. He looked dazed, then he began crying, saying, I could have killed you all.' "The windscreen was shattered and there was chaos on the road because it was a busy Saturday."

They escaped through the rear exit because the main door was blocked.

"The ladies were left standing on the verge in a state of shock," said Mrs Wilkinson.

"No-one was hurt, we were just dazed. Everyone was quite controlled. I didn't register a single scream. We just sat there in stunned silence when it was over."

Joan Whittaker, who was taken to hospital with badly bruised ribs, said passing motorists stopped to help and emergency services responded quickly.

The accident happened on the A658 near North Rigton just after 12.50pm.

Mrs Wilkinson thanked staff from nearby Whitegates Boarding Kennels and Cattery who gave the stunned women seats and cups of tea.

"They insisted we go over, away from what had happened. They made us very welcome. Everyone wanted to come home at that point. There was no call for going to Harrogate any more."

Raymond Gentry, of Whitegates, said: "It could have been a horrendous accident. That is a fast, dangerous road. They were lucky to plough into the bushes which brought them to a stop.

"If they had come off the road 30 yards back they could have gone down a 40-foot embankment on to the railway line."

The bus was hired from the charity, Keighley Community Transport (KCT), which the group regularly uses for trips.

Passenger Jean Blackburn said: "We are very concerned for the driver's welfare. He's a good, helpful man and this is just a one-off. We have been out with him many times and we would drive with him again."

Stephen Shorten, KCT's transport organiser, said the driver one of several volunteers was uninjured but shaken.

He said: "He is cut up about what has happened. He drives regularly for us. He said he was driving along and the next thing he knew he was across the road. It's the first time in my seven years here this has happened."

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said the force would not be taking any action.

e-mail: jonathan.walton@bradford.newsquest.co.uk