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Children 'seriously injured' as double-decker school bus roof torn off in bridge crash

Emily Cleary
Updated ·5-min read

Children were left “distressed, screaming and crying” after their double-decker school bus crashed into a railway bridge, shearing off the roof.

Three pupils were taken to hospital with “serious but not life-threatening” injuries and 12 others suffered minor injuries in the accident in Wellhouse Lane, Winchester, Hampshire, at 8.10am on Thursday.

Inspector Andy Tester, of Hampshire Police’s roads policing unit, said a further 57 children on the bus, operated by Stagecoach, and the driver were unhurt.

All of the youngsters on board were travelling to Henry Beaufort School in Winchester and are aged between 11 and 16.

The scene on Well House Lane in Winchester after three children were taken to hospital with serious injuries while 12 others suffered minor injuries after the school bus they were travelling in crashed into a railway bridge.
Fifteen schoolchildren were injured when the bus crashed into a railway bridge. (PA)

Insp Tester told the PA news agency: “When officers and other emergency services arrived they found a number of people coming out of the bus and it was clear the bus had collided with the bridge.

A spokesperson said: "Three students with serious, but not life-threatening injuries, have been taken to hospital. A further 13 students with minor injuries have been dealt with at the scene.

"All the students involved are aged between 11 and 16.

"A road closure is in place on Well House Lane from the junction with Andover Road North to School Lane to enable us to deal with this incident. We thank you for your patience.

"We are working in co-operation with the school and Hampshire County Council children’s services to provide support to the students and their parents."

Inspector Andy Tester of the Hampshire Roads Policing Unit, reads a statement out to the press at the scene on Well House Lane in Winchester after three children were taken to hospital with serious injuries while 12 others suffered minor injuries after the school bus they were travelling in crashed into a railway bridge causing 'significant damage' to the top of the double-decker bus.
Inspector Andy Tester, of Hampshire Police, reads a state to the press at the scene of the bus crash. (PA)
Jake Coates, 14, a pupil at Henry Beaufort School at the scene on Well House Lane in Winchester after the school bus he was travelling in crashed into a railway bridge causing 'significant damage' to the top of the double-decker bus. Three children were taken to hospital with serious injuries while 12 others suffered minor injuries after the school bus they were travelling in crashed into a railway bridge causing 'significant damage' to the top of the double-decker bus.
Jake Coates, 14, a pupil at Henry Beaufort School at the scene of the crash. (PA)

Jake Coates, 14, who lives nearby and had just been picked up by the bus, said the driver had taken a shortcut because the service was running 10 minutes late.

Describing the scene, he said: “The first thing I was thinking, had anyone been crushed on the top of the bus or anything really bad had happened up on the top.

“When we got out of the bus, I could see people jumping out of the back windows and workers from nearby were catching people.

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“It was quite scary, I was really shocked, I didn’t know if anyone was still inside the bus, trapped.

“A lot of people were screaming, they were shouting like they were going to die, a lot of dust came through as if the bridge was going to collapse.”

He said some of his friends had suffered cuts to their legs and one to their top.

Jake said the bus was being driven by a new driver but he had not been going fast. He continued: “The bus came this route today because it was a couple of minutes late, it might have been 10 minutes late, so it took a different… tried to take a shortcut, which didn’t go well.”

An engineer and police forensic vehicle examiners inspect the scene on Well House Lane in Winchester after three children were taken to hospital with serious injuries while 13 others suffered minor injuries after the school bus they were travelling in crashed into a railway bridge.
An engineer and police forensic vehicle examiners inspect the scene. (PA)

His mother, Caroline Coates, 43, said she and her husband ran to the scene to help when they heard the crash.

She said she was relieved when she realised Jake had not been hurt and added: “The children were sat on the side, obviously quite upset, crying, bleeding.

“I went to another girl who was bleeding from the head and I stayed with her.

“It was quite a shock, quite upsetting. There was a lot of crying, wandering around, trying to get hold of their parents and the school, and checking an ambulance had arrived.”

She added: “Obviously it shouldn’t have happened, they have single-deckers that use this route.”

Henry Beaufort School headteacher Sue Hearle said: “This is a distressing incident and we are extremely relieved it was not more serious.

Sue Hearle, headteacher at the Henry Beaufort School, in Harestock, issues a statement to the media at the scene on Well House Lane in Winchester after three children were taken to hospital with serious injuries while 13 others suffered minor injuries after the school bus they were travelling in crashed into a railway bridge causing 'significant damage' to the top of the double-decker bus.
Sue Hearle, headteacher at the Henry Beaufort School, where the bus heading. (PA)

“With the help of Hampshire County Council’s home to school transport and educational psychology teams we will be supporting all the students involved and their families.

“I do not want to speculate on the circumstances leading up to the incident but our thoughts go out to all those affected.”

Robert, another pupil at Henry Beaufort School, said he was uninjured but “shaken” after the crash.

The 15-year-old, who did not want to disclose his surname, told PA: “I was on the lower deck. I was on my phone when it actually happened. We went under the tunnel and I heard a crash, and I didn’t think it was as major as it was, I didn’t know what tunnel we were under.

The scene on Well House Lane in Winchester after three children were taken to hospital with serious injuries while 12 others suffered minor injuries after the school bus they were travelling in crashed into a railway bridge.
The front of the bus after its roof was sheared off. (PA)

“It took a little while to realise what was happening … part of the roof fell down to the side of the bus that I was on.

“I waited for the people on the top deck to get off, and at that point I saw some of the bad injuries people had. I think everyone was in shock.

“When we got off the bus, everyone sat down on the grassy bank outside. People started to panic and phone parents, some people started to cry.

“It took like an hour maybe while everyone was sorted until we started to leave.”

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