Serious accident on M5

[denphone]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-17497711

M5 crash leaves coach passenger dead and 39 others hurt.

One person died and 39 others were hurt when a coach and lorry crashed on the M5 in the West Midlands.

The motorway was shut after the collision in foggy conditions on the southbound carriageway, between junctions 3 and 4 at 06:24 GMT.

Police said a 35-year-old man from Birmingham, who was on the coach, had died.

The lorry driver, from the south west of England, and another coach passenger, are in a critical condition.

West Midlands Ambulance Service said it had treated 40 adults at the scene.

Twenty-seven of the injured were transferred to nearby hospitals including Queen Elizabeth Hospital and City Hospital in Birmingham, Alexandra Hospital

[thenry]

R.I.P

best wishes to those recovering

[Hom3r]

Any bets the coach driver was going to fast.

Every day they fly past me doing 70mph, regardless of the weather, in my opinion buses and coaches should be limited to 60mph.

[Cobbydaler]

Originally Posted by Hom3r

Any bets the coach driver was going to fast.

Every day they fly past me doing 70mph, regardless of the weather, in my opinion buses and coaches should be limited to 60mph.

If you see the pictures, the lorry ran into the back of the coach...

Originally Posted by Hom3r

Any bets the coach driver was going to fast.

Every day they fly past me doing 70mph, regardless of the weather, in my opinion buses and coaches should be limited to 60mph.

The coach carrying local workers to Evesham in Worcestershire had broken down and was sitting in the slow lane when the lorry slammed into the back of it.

A bus driver has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving after a motorway collision in which a 35-year-old man died.

http://news.sky.com/home/uk-news/article/16195395

[Cobbydaler]

From the BBC page:

Ch Insp Carl Flynn, of the Central Motorway Police Group, said the coach had broken down on the motorway minutes before the accident.

It also said that it happened in fog. Must be something more to this...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-17500107

[Hom3r]

Originally Posted by Cobbydaler

If you see the pictures, the lorry ran into the back of the coach...

If the coach drive was innocent, why has he been arrested.

[Jayster]

Originally Posted by Hom3r

If the coach drive was innocent, why has he been arrested.

He clearly wasn't trying to say that the bus driver was faultless.

[Cobbydaler]

Originally Posted by Hom3r

If the coach drive was innocent, why has he been arrested.

Originally Posted by Jayster

He clearly wasn't trying to say that the bus driver was faultless.

Correct, I was just saying from the pictures, excessive speed by the coach didn't cause it.

Which it didn't, the coach was stopped in the slow lane. I can see why they might have arrested him for not pulling onto the hard shoulder, but what if there was some mechanical failure of the coach that precluded that?

[looselipsuk]

So a 999 call is sent 12 minutes before the crash reporting the stranded coach and then, after a call is received saying a large goods vehicle has collided with the rear of the coach, they are able to dispatch police officers who manage to arrive within 6 minutes.
Maybe a shame they were not dispatched after the first phone call as they could have been there 6 minutes before the crash and maybe have stopped it happening.

[mertle]

Its sad someone lost a life RIP my heart goes out to family for there loss.

Its sad 2 critical the lorry driver and another passenger

Seems strange why coach driver been arrested.

By the reports from witnesses the coach was stationary for ten minutes in hard shoulder. If thats criminal act now god forbid us.

The others which I would assume all drivers would have done in any situation is put his hazzard fog lights on. As its thick bloomin fog doubt would be much use only give drivers seconds warning not enough time.

"That area is renowned for heavy fog... it was quite horrendous at the time."

The only other was should he removed passenger to safety embankment now this might been against policy of bus company. Ideally they should been out of harms way.

To me I cant see A how the charges can be made he did the correct thing by getting to the shoulder. B how the hell police think there was any dangerous driving. Dangerous driving packing it in lane 1, 2 or 3 thats dangerous.

Now only going whats reportedon that note feel it is peposperous. You may as well arrest every driver in fog, dangerous conditions for driving in it.

I think the police should be bit more tactful. That driver would be shaken by whats happened dont need the police cautioning him at this time when all it looks a TRAGIC ACCIDENT.

Like posted in past there seems air with police today death involved then someone should be charged. Police not inflamable so why do expect motorists. We all been there made decision which was wrong we either got away with it or sometimes did'nt. Driving all about judgement calls.

At worst he made judgement error that judgement error should not land him in jail in my view unless he did something stupid.

---------- Post added at 21:17 ---------- Previous post was at 21:14 ----------

Originally Posted by looselipsuk

So a 999 call is sent 12 minutes before the crash reporting the stranded coach and then, after a call is received saying a large goods vehicle has collided with the rear of the coach, they are able to dispatch police officers who manage to arrive within 6 minutes.
Maybe a shame they were not dispatched after the first phone call as they could have been there 6 minutes before the crash and maybe have stopped it happening.

If this true why not arrest the call centre or police who failed to see how dangerous situation was. that makes me now.

I would suggest that the arrest of the driver is all to do with him not evacuating the passengers from the coach .The most dangerous place to be on a motorway is in a stationary vehicle on the hard shoulder,especially if it was foggy,the driver should have immediately got the passengers off and made them stand behind the crash barriers regardless of how cold and foggy it was

[mertle]

Originally Posted by martyh

I would suggest that the arrest of the driver is all to do with him not evacuating the passengers from the coach .The most dangerous place to be on a motorway is in a stationary vehicle on the hard shoulder,especially if it was foggy,the driver should have immediately got the passengers off and made them stand behind the crash barriers regardless of how cold and foggy it was

Only conclusion I can gleem from this but still think timing not right. Still though dont know that he following company policy.

I think it was most sensible thing to do like you said but factors make it just as dangerous.

He may felt they was safer on the bus with conditions fog.

There may not been barriers only in central resevation thats hugely dangerous expect them to cross carriegeway.

Without barriers standing away on verge could been just dangerous.


Safety passengers hugely open to interpretation whats best for them. It was just unlucky they got hit by lorry.

Originally Posted by mertle

Only conclusion I can gleem from this but still think timing not right. Still though dont know that he following company policy.

I think it was most sensible thing to do like you said but factors make it just as dangerous.

He may felt they was safer on the bus with conditions fog.

There may not been barriers only in central resevation thats hugely dangerous expect them to cross carriegeway.

Without barriers standing away on verge could been just dangerous.


Safety passengers hugely open to interpretation whats best for them. It was just unlucky they got hit by lorry.

This from the highways agency

Leave your vehicle immediately via the left hand door. Make sure your passengers do the same. You should leave any animals in the vehicle, or keep them under proper control on the verge.

and looking at the news pics there was plenty of room to evacuate the passengers to the other side of barrier

[mertle]

yep could not argue the highway code but not seen the location if was barrier then he had no defence not too.