Latest news with #RiverItchen
Yahoo
07-08-2025
- Yahoo
Bus crash investigation continues six weeks on
The investigation into a terrifying college bus crash remains ongoing, police have confirmed. It has been six weeks since the shocking crash that saw the Bluestar 607 double-decker bus, carrying 19 students from Barton Peveril College, veer off Bishopstoke Road and slam into the River Itchen. A teenage girl was "seriously" injured in the crash, and the 69-year-old driver was also in hospital with "serious injuries". READ MORE: Bishopstoke bus crash: Pictures show extent of damage Mother of 16-year-old on Bishopstoke bus crash 'thought daughter was going to die' Politician urges people not to speculate on college bus crash A further three passengers, two girls and one boy, all 17, sustained serious injuries. Police and Bluestar have now both confirmed that their investigations remain ongoing. Following the crash, Detective Sergeant Gary Doughty, of the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, asked people not to speculate on the potential cause of the crash. He said: "This will be a thorough investigation and all lines of enquiry will be followed to determine the circumstances."
BBC News
06-07-2025
- Science
- BBC News
River Itchen study launched as salmon 'at risk of extinction'
The head of an environmental charity fears Atlantic salmon are at risk of extinction if their young cannot reach the Environment Agency has launched a study to look for ways to help the species travel from the River Itchen in Hampshire, to the agency says juvenile salmon in Southampton, known as smolts, are struggling to get past barriers in the river, which is contributing to population of Wessex Rivers Trust, Dr Dave Rumble, said the salmon's future looked "pretty bleak" unless things changed. He added: "Extinction is looking like a real possibility within a small number of years if we don't really rally some activity." The Environment Agency will be investigating the lower part of the River Itchen, between Woodmill to October it expects to "identify suitable options" to help salmon, including river habitat, improving fish passage and more community Mellan, the agency's project manager for the study, said: "The River Itchen has really changed in the past 10 years."The first step is finding out what can be done to improve the river system and increase its ecological resilience. For salmon that means improving migration to the sea and boosting their odds of returning to spawn." 'More smolt friendly' Shoals of juvenile salmon start their journey from the Itchen to the sea in the spring, but experts say the fish are "struggling to get past the first hurdle" due to changes around the a statement, the agency explained: "It was once used for transport and trade as a sea lock and onward travel to Winchester. Now, the current structures control water levels through Riverside Park."These structures present the biggest obstacles for smolts, especially in large groups." It said the change in water velocity makes smolts "bunch up", adding: "Eventually the current carries them over or under the structures and back onto their journey to the sea."But the delay impedes their migration and worsens the odds of them completing their lifecycle and eventually returning as adults to spawn."The agency is now working with partners, like Wessex Rivers Trust, to figure out how to make fish passage "more smolt friendly". You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
The Sun
27-06-2025
- The Sun
Moment bus hurtles off road & crashes into river when ‘breaks failed' as terrified students scream ‘we're going to die'
THIS is the terrifying moment a speeding bus filled with students swerves across the road before plunging into a river. Shocking footage shows the double decker narrowly avoiding cars before flying off the road near Eastleigh, Hampshire yesterday morning. 7 7 7 7 The speeding bus squeezes between an oncoming car and a learner driver before crashing through a fence into the River Itchen, on Bishopstoke Road. 19 people were left injured following the disturbing ordeal, which was over in a matter of seconds. Video from inside the vehicle, filmed by one horrified passenger, also shows the double decker barrelling down the Hampshire road. Terrified screams can be heard from the students, who shout, "we're going to die", before the video cuts off. The youngster behind the camera says: "Oh my god, the bus has just had a major crash and now he's speeding off." Someone else yells in panic: "Get away from the windshield." "We're going to die, we're actually going to die, what's he doing?", says the concerned boy filming. "Oh my god, oh my god, we're actually going to die," he repeats, his voice growing more shaky. Pictures from the scene also showed the large blue bus sitting upright in the shallow river with broken railings left behind. Three passengers were rushed to hospital while fourteen were treated for minor injuries. It comes as the driver earlier blamed faulty brakes and a "jammed accelerator". Speaking to the BBC, resident Kelly West said: "We ran outside, we ran around the front of the bus and spoke to the driver." She was told by the driver that the "brakes were not working" and the accelerator "jammed". He explained to her that he was "doing the best he could" to avoid oncoming traffic coming down the road. The Bluestar double-decker was College Bus 607 for Barton Peveril students, according to Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary. Multiple emergency services swooped down after the crash. At least five ambulances were spotted on the residential road and two helicopters were scrambled to the scene, which has been cordoned off by police. Fire crews were also seen carrying ladders and working with stretchers to bring any remaining passengers off the bus. All passengers have since been removed from the bus which is sitting upright in the River Itchen, said the ambulance service. Bluestar have confirmed there were 19 passengers on-board at the time. Scott Agass said that his 17-year-old son was onboard but is thankfully okay. He told the Echo: "We are just waiting for our son who was onboard. They are not in the bus at the moment, I think they are all out. 7 7 "He said he was sitting there with a blanket and a monitor on his finger. He doesn't really know what happened or what caused it. "I suppose it just happened so quick. All he saw was that it crashed and gone in the river." It is understood that other families of the youngsters are gathered at the Eastleigh Rugby Club awaiting more information from police. Barton Peveril Sixth Form College has said its staff are working closely with police. Bluestar, which operates the double-decker, has said "early reports suggest the bus left the highway and came to rest in a shallow river". Richard Tyldsley, Bluestar general manager, said: "There were 19 passengers on-board at the time. "Our driver and at least two of the passengers have confirmed injuries, and we are awaiting further updates on the status of others on-board. 'We do not currently have full details of their injuries and are following their progress closely. 'Our thoughts are with everybody involved, and we wish those who were injured a full and speedy recovery. 'At this time, we do not know the circumstances behind this incident and are carrying out an immediate investigation. We are also assisting the police as they carry out their own enquiries." 7
Washington Post
26-06-2025
- Washington Post
Double-decker bus carrying students plunges into river in England in 'terrifying' crash
LONDON — 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 injures, officials said. The bus was bound for Barton Peveril Sixth Form College, a school for 16- to 18-year-olds, when it went off a road in Eastleigh and plunged into the River Itchen. The cause of the crash was being investigated by police and the bus company. 'It must have been terrifying,' said Inspector Andy Tester of the Hampshire Constabulary. All 19 passengers on board were either able to get off the bus or were rescued, police said. The bus driver and one student had serious injuries but were expected to survive. Police said there was no indication as to why the bus veered off the road. But a woman who said she heard a screeching sound and saw the crash said the driver told her he couldn't stop. 'I heard some noise, I looked out of the window and he just came careening into the river,' Kelly West said. 'It felt very fast and obviously he just went straight through the barriers and into the river.' West rushed to the scene and found the driver trapped and 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 axels. Its front windows were smashed and mud was splattered on its side. A large section of bridge railing was missing. West said she helped some of the shaken students get off the bus and to her garden. 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. The Bluestar Bus said it did not immediately know the circumstances of the crash.
The Independent
26-06-2025
- The Independent
Injured student tells of horror and confusion after 19 hurt as bus crashes into Hampshire river
A student has described the moment a double-decker bus he was on board crashed into a river, seriously injuring five people. Several teenagers and the driver were trapped inside the vehicle after it veered off the road in Eastleigh, Hampshire. The bus was taking 19 students to Barton Peveril Sixth Form College when it crashed at around 10am on Thursday in Bishopstoke Road and ended up in the River Itchen. A witness said the driver told them the bus had suffered mechanical failure and the brakes stopped working. One of the students on board, called Freddie Sampson, told of the moment of the crash, and the panic that ensued after. 'We ran into a lamp-post and the whole windscreen shattered,' Freddie Sampson told the BBC. 'It was like we couldn't stop and had to weave through traffic trying not to hit any cars and then the bus driver lost control – we went flying into the river. 'It was all a bit manic. No-one really knew what was going on. I looked out the front to see people moving out of the way, like cars out the front… I looked round... they were all confused and scared.' In a video of the incident, a student on board the bus can be heard saying: 'Oh my god, we are going to die, we're actually going to die' before screaming can be heard and the footage ends. Kelly West, who lives nearby and rushed to the scene, said the driver had told her the brakes had failed and the accelerator jammed. 'I heard some noise, looked out of the window and he just came careening into the river,' she said. Ms West said people were shouting and she found the driver trapped. She said: 'I told him to stop panicking, help was on its way, and he said the brakes failed and the accelerator was jammed and that he was trying to avoid cars.' Inspector Andy Tester, of Hampshire Constabulary, said five people were taken to hospital for treatment. Two of those – the driver and a passenger – had injuries that were serious but not life-threatening, while 14 others, with less serious injuries, were treated at the scene, he said. A total of 19 people were hurt. 'It must have been terrifying, and my thoughts are very much with the children and the driver on the bus, who must have had a terrifying experience,' he said. Mr Tester praised the bravery of passers-by and emergency services in freeing those trapped. The mother of one student said she panicked on hearing about the crash but praised the driver's actions. Gabriela McInnes Perez Cabrera wrote on Facebook: 'My son has just arrived from college. One of his friends sustained a minor injury and went to class after the accident. 'My son showed me a video taken by one student when the bus couldn't stop. They were so scared, the poor ones. 'I think the bus driver did their best and pulled to the river instead of going ahead as they were entering a more populated area.' Another mother said on hearing the news she felt nervous and also panicked. 'I rushed straight here as quick as I could but I couldn't get to my daughter. I'm panicking until I get to see her,' the woman, identified only as Annabel, told the BBC. Police said removing the badly damaged bus, which had ended up in the water below the road level, would be a complex operation. Richard Tyldsley, general manager of bus company Bluestar, said: 'Our thoughts are with everybody involved, and we wish those who were injured a full and speedy recovery. 'At this time, we do not know the circumstances behind this incident and are carrying out an immediate investigation. We are also assisting the police as they carry out their own inquiries.'
