School bus crash

Two families grieving, I pray that there are not more fatalities.

RIP 💐💐

Yes that was my thought, when I read the news.
Parents and grandparents worst nightmare

Just awful.

The poor child who lost it's life and the driver.
I travelled 8 miles to school on a double-decker service bus with no seat belts through winding country lanes.
The trouble is at a young age you never imagine anything is going to happen and there were always people making a noise and walking up and down.
One bus did eventually crash on a very steep icy hill. Luckily no children were badly hurt or killed but the driver was so traumatised he never worked again and he was only in his 40's.
Much sympathy to all the people involved.

Was it a bus or a coach? Seat belts are mandatory on coaches.

Police are now saying driver had a medical emergency, seat belts are usual, wether all the children use them is another matter.

It has a personal dimension for me, because I lived in Wirral as a child and knew both those schools. My brother went to Calday Grange for a while.

I wondered if the driver had been taken ill, and it seems he was. Now they're saying he was unwell before the accident, which is even worse. There will be an enquiry of course, but one thing that should be a legal requirement is for companies that employ drivers to give them a thorough medical every year (or maybe they do?)

I seem to remember a few years back a bin lorry crashing in a city street and killing people. Another heartbreaking incident. It turned out the driver had some medical problems yet was still driving this massive bin lorry in a crowded city street.

There was also another incident where some similarly large vehicle crashed into the side of the road, killing a small girl on her way to school, and if I remember correctly I think the driver was not experienced enough to drive that vehicle.

So medical examinations and competence tests are vital for anyone driving a bus, coach, train or lorry. All these large vehicles are so terribly dangerous unless the person driving is fully fit and capable.

There will be big problems for the bus company if the drivers PSV licence and medical were not up to date.
However some drivers do not tell employer if they have a temporary illness.

Some illnesses can strike out of the blue of course, heart attack, aneurysm etc.
I thought that so far we only had the family's input about medical causes for him to crash. A very sad situation for everyone .

Chestnut

I wondered if the driver had been taken ill, and it seems he was. Now they're saying he was unwell before the accident, which is even worse. There will be an enquiry of course, but one thing that should be a legal requirement is for companies that employ drivers to give them a thorough medical every year (or maybe they do?)

I seem to remember a few years back a bin lorry crashing in a city street and killing people. Another heartbreaking incident. It turned out the driver had some medical problems yet was still driving this massive bin lorry in a crowded city street.

There was also another incident where some similarly large vehicle crashed into the side of the road, killing a small girl on her way to school, and if I remember correctly I think the driver was not experienced enough to drive that vehicle.

So medical examinations and competence tests are vital for anyone driving a bus, coach, train or lorry. All these large vehicles are so terribly dangerous unless the person driving is fully fit and capable.

Yes they do. Licences also checked. Regularly, otherwise cannot drive. Heart problems sometimes hard to pick up, footballers. This could happen to anyone. Remember a surgeon at my hospital, mid surgery, collapsing and dying. Does seem that some are very disbelieving and seem to be blaming the driver for a medical problem he may not even have been aware of. Talk about trial by Grans net.Let's await the official investigation and results shall we.

Good post, Freya5. As you say, medical problems can sometimes strike out of the blue. The investigation, I'm sure, will be thorough. Very sad for all involved.

Talk about trial by Grans net.Let'sit the official investigation and results shall we.

Totally agree Freya.

Such tragic news. A medical situation can strike without warning. Thinking of everyone affected by this dreadful incident.

Grandma70s

It has a personal dimension for me, because I lived in Wirral as a child and knew both those schools. My brother went to Calday Grange for a while.

So close to home for me as well Grandma I live close by and my eldest DS went to Calday such a sad day here on The Wirral.