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Six seriously injured as coach overturns

by liamssoft | September 4, 2007 at 10:49 am | 312 views | add comment

Causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs in the UK caries a maximum penalty of 14 years' imprisonment, an unlimited fine, disqualification from driving for at least 2 years and a mandatory extended driving test. This driver was lucky, no one was killed...

The driver of a National Express coach which overturned on the M1 motorway near Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, UK, has been arrested on suspicion of drink driving and dangerous driving.

Six passengers are said to be seriously injured after 33 passengers were rescued from the coach after it overturned on a motorway slip road.

The coach toppled over as it entered Newport Pagnell services on the M1 shortly after 4pm.

The driver of the single-decker coach was trapped behind the wheel and had to be cut free by fire crews. Passers-by and emergency workers helped rescue the passengers.

The National Express coach was on its way to Luton and Stansted airports from Birmingham.

A spokeswoman for Thames Valley Police said: "It appears that shortly after 4pm the National Express coach clipped a kerb and rolled on to its side.

"A number of passengers have been taken to hospitals in Milton Keynes, Northampton and Oxford. There are many walking wounded."

National Express said the bus left Birmingham Digbeth at 2pm and stopped at Birmingham International at 2.20pm and Coventry at 2.40pm. It was on its way to Luton Airport.

A spokesman for South Central Ambulance at the scene said 34 people had been taken off the bus.

Six were seriously injured, 11 were walking wounded and 17 were discharged at the scene.

One of the passengers said the coach was "going fast round corners" before the crash.