Double Decker Overturns in Somerset (17/01/2023)

[GusB]

A major incident has been declared after a double decker overturned on the A39. Some reports are suggesting there was a collision with a motorcycle.

Major incident declared after double decker bus overturns | ITV News

The double decker bus was carrying workers from the Hinkley Point C nuclear site. | ITV News West Country

www.itv.com

A major incident has been declared this morning after a double decker bus carrying Hinkley Point C workers overturned on the A39 near Bridgwater.

Emergency services including an air ambulance attended the A39 Quantock Road, near Cannington, in Somerset, at around 6am this morning (17 January).

It followed reports of an incident involving the bus and a motorcyclist.

Travel to and from the Hinkley Point C has been suspended, the nuclear site has confirmed.

Closures are in place at the junction of Sandford Hill and Quantock Road and heavy traffic is being reported from B3339 Sandford Hill to Qunatock Meadow.

A spokesperson from Avon and Somerset Police said: "A significant number of police, fire and ambulance units are on the scene and a major incident has been declared."

From what I've read it would seem that the road conditions were fairly treacherous. Thoughts are with those involved and here's hoping that nobody has been seriously hurt.

 

[M803UYA]

A major incident has been declared after a double decker overturned on the A39. Some reports are suggesting there was a collision with a motorcycle.

Major incident declared after double decker bus overturns | ITV News

The double decker bus was carrying workers from the Hinkley Point C nuclear site. | ITV News West Country

www.itv.com

From what I've read it would seem that the road conditions were fairly treacherous. Thoughts are with those involved and here's hoping that nobody has been seriously hurt.

That section is a fast and twisty road - one I've driven frequently in buses and coaches.

 

[GusB]

The police are issuing a statement now on BBC News 24 and have confirmed that it is no longer a major incident and that there are no fatalities.

 

[Crossover]

Good news that there have been no fatalaties - with the number of people onboard, it is very fortunate that is the case

For those interested, it was a 19 plate StreetDeck involved in the incident

 

[150249]

Good news that there have been no fatalaties - with the number of people onboard, it is very fortunate that is the case

For those interested, it was a 19 plate StreetDeck involved in the incident

It looks like one of those white ones which run around Somerset. What company do they belong to?

 

[Peter Philips]

It looks like one of those white ones which run around Somerset. What company do they belong to?

First Somerset Passenger Solutions (SPS),Hinkley Point C workers contract.

 

[Dai Corner]

First SPS Hinkley Point C workers contract

This Sky News article confirms the bus involved was operated by Somerset Passenger Solutions. (Can't copy and post a quote - sorry).

Dozens injured with some in hospital after double-decker bus with 71 on board overturns on A39 Quantock Road in Somerset

Somerset Passenger Solutions, which operates the bus service, said an investigation into the "root cause of the accident" is now under way. A motorcyclist was also involved in the incident.

news.sky.com

 

[PG]

Watched a national news report on this incident that featured an on-site reporter who described the bus as "jacknifing"
Could someone please explain how does a non articulated vehicle jacknife?!!

 

[scosutsut]

Watched a national news report on this incident that featured an on-site reporter who described the bus as "jacknifing"
Could someone please explain how does a non articulated vehicle jacknife?!!

I mean Wright's build quality around that time was a bit...floppy... But surely not enough to enable that

 

[william.martin]

Sadly a member of my family was traveling to school on a double decker in Dorset a few years ago when the top deck collided with a bridge, by chance this was the only day he had ever rode on the bottom deck so he was fine!!!
I hope that everybody is ok and best wishes to everybody involved's family!

Watched a national news report on this incident that featured an on-site reporter who described the bus as "jacknifing"
Could someone please explain how does a non articulated vehicle jacknife?!!

Maybe this was a way of suggesting that it slid around a corner in a drift, Joking! If the bus follows the laws of physics it isn't possible for it to jackknife so god knows what the news presenter meant by that one.

 

[pdeaves]

Lots of stuff about the bus and its passengers. What about the motor bike rider? Hopefully they didn’t end up underneath the mess...

 

[Peter Philips]

Watched a national news report on this incident that featured an on-site reporter who described the bus as "jacknifing"
Could someone please explain how does a non articulated vehicle jacknife?!!

Did they mean the bus had spun round 180° to face the opposite direction it had been heading, skid marks (marked out by the police) on the road potentially support this theory.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 Jan 2023 ==

This Sky News article confirms the bus involved was operated by Somerset Passenger Solutions. (Can't copy and post a quote - sorry).

Dozens injured with some in hospital after double-decker bus with 71 on board overturns on A39 Quantock Road in Somerset

Somerset Passenger Solutions, which operates the bus service, said an investigation into the "root cause of the accident" is now under way. A motorcyclist was also involved in the incident.

news.sky.com

Which is now wholly owned by First South West (rather than previous 50/50 joint venture with Crosville)

 

[PG]

Did they mean the bus had spun round 180° to face the opposite direction it had been heading, skid marks (marked out by the police) on the road potentially support this theory.

Maybe they did mean that but it is a poor choice of phrase - spun around would be a better description - if indeed that is what happened.

 

[83G/84D]

Driving on black ice when you aren’t expecting it can be a scary and challenging experience.

All the training and information the driver may have been given about how to deal with black ice might not have been implemented in the heat of the moment.

I am sure there will be a full investigation involving various agencies to establish the cause of the crash and that everything will be looked at from the bus, weather and human factors.

Do modern buses carry any sort of black box recorders other than the tachograph?

 

[M803UYA]

Driving on black ice when you aren’t expecting it can be a scary and challenging experience.

All the training and information the driver may have been given about how to deal with black ice might not have been implemented in the heat of the moment.

I am sure there will be a full investigation involving various agencies to establish the cause of the crash and that everything will be looked at from the bus, weather and human factors.

Do modern buses carry any sort of black box recorders other than the tachograph?

The SPS fleet is fitted with CCTV, which will be able to replay the 'events'.