20-07-2025
Two children and two adults remain in hospital after school bus crash that killed a boy, 10, when 70-seater overturned and slid down 20ft slope
Two children and two adults are still in hospital after the horrific school bus crash that killed a 10-year-old boy.
A 70-seater a coach carrying Minehead Middle School pupils on Thursday crashed off the road, flipped onto its roof and slid 20ft down a steep bank.
A total of 21 people were injured in the crash as it drove year 5 pupils back from an end of term trip to the zoo.
Four children and three adults remain were in hospital - the two remaining youngsters were taken to Bristol Royal Hospital for Children by air ambulance following the accident.
A police spokesperson said the investigation into the crash was ongoing.
One boy, Jayden, who was on the bus and suffered a suspected broken collarbone in the crash, visited Minehead Middle School to lay flowers at the scene earlier today with his mother Kim.
He said: 'I just remember climbing up the hill to get back on the road and that's it.
On his injuries, Jayden said: 'I'm alright, it just hurts.'
A 70-seater a coach carrying Minehead Middle School pupils on Thursday crashed off the road, flipped onto its roof and slid 20ft down a steep bank. Pictured: People lay floral tributes at the scene
She told the BBC she has had to break the news of the child's death to Jayden, adding: 'He's lost a friend.'
Emergency services, including five helicopters, rushed to the scene on the A396 in Somerset to free passengers who had become trapped inside the bus.
An off-duty firefighter travelling behind the coach was able to save the lives of children by immediately starting to free them minutes after the collision.
But he has said he 'couldn't sleep' because of the scenes he witnessed.
Alan Jones, 64, ferried passengers to safety by driving them to a safe hub on his quad bike.
Mr Jones, who now works as a trainer and lives at East Harwood Farm, said he took a total of eight adults and children to the Rest and Be Thankful Inn in Wheddon Cross.
'They're just so innocent and it wasn't their fault. It was a sorry sight,' he said.
'When you hear it's children from a middle school, I should think everybody dropped everything like I did, because it's just something about children - they're pretty helpless, really.
'I think it would have been wrong not to try and help. I was there in under 10 minutes.
'When I got there, the road was closed and the police were everywhere. Everybody was just looking at the bus.
'I didn't know there were any fatalities at the time, but I knew there were children still in the bus, and all of the police officers were just basically around the bus and there wasn't anybody else about, really; I was the only local person there.'
Dozens of pupils, parents and local residents who laid flowers outside the front gates of the school - which closed on Friday following the tragedy.
The school's head teacher, Laura Mackie, was among those laying flowers.
'I'm thinking of my staff team who are amazing, dedicated, and all of our wonderful students that have been affected and impacted by this awful, awful incident.
'It's just been horrific,' she told the BBC.
