Bus carrying college students crashes into river in Eastleigh

Two people have been seriously injured after a double-decker bus carrying college students “careered” into a river.

The 607 for Barton Peveril Sixth Form College left the carriageway and plunged into the water off Bishopstoke Road in Eastleigh, Hampshire, shortly before 10:00 BST.

Police said two people suffered serious injuries – the driver and one passenger. Their injuries were not considered to be life-threatening. Fifteen others were also hurt.

A witness described helping to rescue students and said she had been told by the bus driver the brakes were not working.

Student Freddie Sampson was one of 19 passengers on board.

The 18-year-old was sitting at the front of the bus on the top deck and described the moment it went over the kerb.

“We ran into a lamp-post and the whole windscreen shattered,” he said.

“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.”

Insp Andy Tester described it as a “terrifying experience” for those involved.

He said several people including the driver had been trapped on board when emergency services arrived, while others had managed to leave the bus.

“There were a large number of specialist resources helping to get people out of the bus,” he said

“It was obviously important to us to triage the injured people, to assess the people who were still stuck in the bus, and to make sure we had accounted for everyone.”

He praised the bravery of members of the public and emergency services who helped at the scene.

“There was a lot of bravery shown by many people who were first on scene, who didn’t have training to work in water and weren’t equipped, but quickly backed up by our fire and ambulance colleagues,” he said.

One of those who rushed to help people on the bus was Kelly West, who was working from home near the scene.

She said she had looked out of the window when she heard a screeching sound and saw the bus “come careering into the river”.

“We ran outside, we ran around the front of the bus, spoke to the driver,” she said.

Ms West said the driver had told her the accelerator “jammed”, with his brakes “not working”.

She said the man had told her he had been “doing the best he could to avoid cars as he was coming down the road”.

She explained that she had helped the “shocked” students who could leave the bus to get out of the water and into her garden nearby.

Speaking near the cordon, a parent whose daughter was on the bus, said her daughter had called her crying and told her the bus had crashed into a river.

She said she had not seen her daughter but that she was “a bit banged up, shocked”, having suffered cuts and bruises.

Another parent told the BBC: “I’m nervous. I felt 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.”

Dr David Pogson, a parent at the incident centre, said: “I got a message on the family chat at work about the accident, which sounded quite serious.

“Thankfully it doesn’t sound that he is seriously hurt, his friends are all fine.

“I have seen some ambulances going away though and I understand some children have been injured.”

The B3037 was closed in both directions and traffic queued between Chickenhall Lane to Riverside.

Police said they anticipated it to be much later in the night before the road reopened due to the investigation and recovery work continuing.

The 607 bus route runs from Knowle, through Wickham, Shedfield, Swanmore and Bishops Waltham to Barton Peveril College in Eastleigh.

The force said an incident centre had been set up at The Hub at Bishopstoke for concerned parents. An officer and college staff will be available to provide updates and address questions.

The college said: “Staff are working closely with the police to ensure the safety and well-being of all students”.

“We ask that people do not attend the actual scene,” it added.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service is at the scene and also asked people to avoid the area.

Richard Tyldsley, Bluestar general manager, confirmed it was one of his firm’s buses involved and that 19 passengers were on board at the time.

“Reports suggest the bus left the highway and came to rest in a shallow river,” he said.

He said the bus driver was one of those injured.

“Our thoughts are with everybody involved, and we wish those who were injured a full and speedy recovery,” he added.

Eastleigh MP Liz Jarvis said she was “very, very shocked” and worried about the students involved.

“My thoughts are with those who were injured and the emergency services who were on the scene who have done a fantastic job and responded really quickly,” she said.