Double-Decker Bus Carrying Students Plunges into River in England in ‘Terrifying' Crash
A double-decker bus carrying high school students plunged into a river in southern England on Thursday, sending the driver and four teens to the hospital and leaving more than a dozen others with minor injuries, officials said.
The bus was bound for Barton Peveril Sixth Form College, a school for 16- to 18-year-olds, when it sped off a road in Eastleigh and plunged into the River Itchen. The cause of the wreck was being investigated by police and the bus company.
Police said there was no indication why the bus veered off the road. But a woman who lives nearby and heard a screeching sound and saw the bus crash through roadside barriers into the water said the driver told her he couldn't stop.
Kelly West, who helped some of the students to safety, said the bus was going close to 60 mph (nearly 100 kph) and said it was like a scene out of "Speed," the Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock film about a bus barreling through Los Angeles.
"One of the young adults said the bus was just getting faster and faster as it came down the road and they didn't know what he was going to do," West said. "I can well imagine they were all thinking they were going to die, quite frankly."
Inspector Andy Tester of the Hampshire Constabulary said it "must have been terrifying."
All 19 passengers on board were either able to get off the bus or were rescued, police said. The bus driver, who was trapped, and one student had serious injuries but were expected to survive.
West said the driver was alert and sharp, but panicking. She reassured him that help was on the way.
"He said the brakes failed and the accelerator was jammed and that he was trying to avoid cars," West said.
The bus was sitting upright in the river, next to a bridge, water up to its axles. Its front windows were smashed and mud was splattered on its side. A large section of bridge railing was missing.
About 14 students were treated at the scene by paramedics, the South Central Ambulance Service said. Two helicopters, five ambulances and fire crews responded to the crash.
Bluestar Bus said it did not immediately know the circumstances of the crash.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
10 hours ago
- Arab News
UK made fewer vehicles for the fifth straight month in May as Trump tariffs bite
Technicians work on a Rolls-Royce engine prior to it being installed in a car on the production line of the Rolls-Royce Goodwood factory. (AFP) LONDON: Britain's vehicle production declined from a year ago for the fifth successive month in May, industry data showed on Friday, as factory disruptions and US tariffs weighed on automakers. UK car and commercial vehicle production dropped 32.8 percent from a year ago to 49,810 units last month, marking the worst percentage drop in May output since 1949, excluding the COVID-19 pandemic-hit 2020, according to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. Exports to the UK's two biggest markets, the EU and the US, declined by 22.5 percent and 55.4 percent respectively, SMMT said. US President Donald Trump's 25 percent tariffs on imported automobiles and parts, imposed in March, have disrupted global supply chains, added hundreds of millions of dollars in costs for manufacturers, prompted export suspensions and pushed several automakers, especially in Europe, to consider shifting production to the US to avoid the duties. British manufacturing also contracted in May, as output, orders and employment declined. Still, SMMT chief Mike Hawes said the UK's trade deals, especially with the US, and a more positive relationship with the EU, provided some optimism. The US and UK reaffirmed a previously agreed trade deal during the G7 summit in Canada earlier this month, under which up to 100,000 UK-made cars a year can enter the US at a 10 percent tariff, lower than the 25 percent rates other countries face. In May, Britain reached a trade deal with India to lower tariffs and set quotas on auto imports, while also moving closer to the European Union on cooperation in defense, energy and agriculture. Car production, excluding commercial vehicles, dropped by 31.5 percent in May, largely driven by model changeovers, restructuring and the impact of US tariffs, SMMT said.
Asharq Al-Awsat
12 hours ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Double-Decker Bus Carrying Students Plunges into River in England in ‘Terrifying' Crash
A double-decker bus carrying high school students plunged into a river in southern England on Thursday, sending the driver and four teens to the hospital and leaving more than a dozen others with minor injuries, officials said. The bus was bound for Barton Peveril Sixth Form College, a school for 16- to 18-year-olds, when it sped off a road in Eastleigh and plunged into the River Itchen. The cause of the wreck was being investigated by police and the bus company. Police said there was no indication why the bus veered off the road. But a woman who lives nearby and heard a screeching sound and saw the bus crash through roadside barriers into the water said the driver told her he couldn't stop. Kelly West, who helped some of the students to safety, said the bus was going close to 60 mph (nearly 100 kph) and said it was like a scene out of "Speed," the Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock film about a bus barreling through Los Angeles. "One of the young adults said the bus was just getting faster and faster as it came down the road and they didn't know what he was going to do," West said. "I can well imagine they were all thinking they were going to die, quite frankly." Inspector Andy Tester of the Hampshire Constabulary said it "must have been terrifying." All 19 passengers on board were either able to get off the bus or were rescued, police said. The bus driver, who was trapped, and one student had serious injuries but were expected to survive. West said the driver was alert and sharp, but panicking. She reassured him that help was on the way. "He said the brakes failed and the accelerator was jammed and that he was trying to avoid cars," West said. The bus was sitting upright in the river, next to a bridge, water up to its axles. Its front windows were smashed and mud was splattered on its side. A large section of bridge railing was missing. About 14 students were treated at the scene by paramedics, the South Central Ambulance Service said. Two helicopters, five ambulances and fire crews responded to the crash. Bluestar Bus said it did not immediately know the circumstances of the crash.
Asharq Al-Awsat
13 hours ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Russell Suggests Mercedes Are Still After Verstappen
George Russell has suggested his contract renewal talks with Mercedes are being held up because the team are still keen to sign Formula One champion Max Verstappen. The 27-year-old Briton, winner in Canada two weeks ago, is out of contract at the end of the season while four-times champion Verstappen has a deal with Red Bull until 2028, subject to get-out clauses. Russell told Sky Sports television at the Austrian Grand Prix that Mercedes, constructors' champions eight years in a row from 2014-2021 and currently second to McLaren, wanted to return to the top. "If you're going to be back on top, you need to make sure you've got the best drivers, the best engineers, the best pit crew, and that's what Mercedes are chasing," he said. "So, it's only normal that conversations with the likes of Verstappen are ongoing. But from my side, if I'm performing as I'm doing, what have I got to be concerned about? There are two seats in every Formula One team." Mercedes boss Toto Wolff made his interest in Verstappen clear last year as he sought a replacement for seven-times champion Lewis Hamilton. In the end 18-year-old Italian rookie Kimi Antonelli was handed the opportunity and has been setting a string of age records, drawing strong support from fans. Verstappen and Russell have had a series of headline clashes on and off the track over the past 12 months, with Mercedes likely to have concerns about pairing them together should the opportunity arise. Russell told reporters separately that team boss Toto Wolff has assured him he was performing as well as anybody on the starting grid. "I think there's only one driver that you can debate in terms of performance -- these are his words, these are not my words -- so that's why I have no concern about the future," he said. "But there's two seats at every team and I guess he needs to think, who are those two drivers going to be for those two seats, and I guess that's what the delay is." Verstappen, appearing in the main FIA press conference, was reluctant to talk about his future when asked if he would be driving for Red Bull next year. "Do you want me to repeat what I said last year?... it's not really on my mind. Just driving well, trying to push the performance, and then we focus on next year."
