Fatal coach crash 11/09/2012

[robertclark125]

Sad to have to report a fatal coach crash occured in the early hours of this morning, the coach was returning to Merseyside from the Bestival event on the Isle of Wight.

Full details below.

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/2012...om-bestival-on-isle-of-wight-100252-31809259/

 

[185]

Was Merseypride's EOS coach. Driver was from Warrington.

They're a small operator, been about for 25 years or so.

Section of road was unlit, and the first bend after a fairly long straightish bit.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

There was a report on the BBC that it was overloaded. That specific wording is no longer online, but the below is:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-surrey-19562601 ( update time quoted from is 18.55 on 12/09/12 ).

"There were 53 people on board."

The vehicle had 51 seats plus the driver seat, according to this: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-19566742 ( update time quoted from is 22.01 on 12/09/12 ).

"He described the vehicle as a 51-seat "exec coach"..."

 

[mbonwick]

51 normal seats, 1 drivers seat and 1 crew 'jump' seat.

Not sure on the legal/insurance stance of normal passengers using the jump seat however.

 

[185]

51 normal seats, 1 drivers seat and 1 crew 'jump' seat.

Not sure on the legal/insurance stance of normal passengers using the jump seat however.

Correct. Vehicle was 51 + Driver Seat + Crewie.

So realistically, it was not "overloaded" as the press claimed - every bum was on a seat. I can only assume someone involved in the organisation of the tour was sat on the crewie. Spent most of the nineties sat in crew seats with my feet in the windscreen.

 

[northwichcat]

On a coach I was on once the crew seat was occupied by someone who was the son of one of the drivers but not a driver on the coach at the time - the driver said that was allowed?! The lack of seats was down to the coach company providing a seat with 51 seats for a contract where 53 seats was required.

I've also been on coaches where there has been a second driver on board, who is able to take over to allow the first driver to have a driving break without an extended stop somewhere. On a coach between Merseyside and the Isle of Wight and back that might well be the case.

 

[YorkshireRider]

The owner of the coach company has said it is thought the driver had a heart attack but this is unconfirmed, he was 63.

 

[BestWestern]

The owner of the coach company has said it is thought the driver had a heart attack but this is unconfirmed, he was 63.

To be fair, this might be 'damage limitation'. Until the post mortem is done it's just as likely that he was half asleep, hence leaving the road on a gentle curve. If the driver had keeled over at the wheel it's unlikely he'd have continued on the straight, though of course it could all have happened just as he reached the bend. Speculation doesn't help though, perhaps we'll hear in due course.

With regard to the capacity issue, if indeed the coach did have 53 seats in total then it sounds like the coppers simply got it wrong and the press have got over excited. Chances are that somebody went to check on the seating capacity signage and assumed +1 for the driver, and just didn't realise there was ever a crew seat. With the damage to the coach it probably wouldn't have been obvious. Every press report screaming 'overloaded' had me thinking he was plodding up the A3 with a standing load, typical media rubbish.

 

[185]

That EOS coach definately did have a crewie, it was quite a low down one.

Passed it a few times on Speke Boulevard.