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A47: Woman killed in crash with bus
Police have today (Friday) named the woman who died in a horrific head-on crash between a car and a double-decker bus on the A47 near Thorney on Thursday morning (28 May).
Police have today (Friday) named the woman who died in a horrific head-on crash between a car and a double-decker bus on the A47 near Thorney on Thursday morning (28 May).Susan Wilson (47), of Drayton, Bretton, Peterborough, was driving her blue Citroen C3 on the A47 at Thorney Toll, near Peterborough, when it was in collision with the bus.
The First Eastern Counties double-decker veered off the road and plunged into a ditch after the impact.
Ms Wilson, who was travelling towards Wisbech, died shortly after the tragedy at 11.10am on Thursday. Thirteen bus passengers were injured, three of them seriously.
Emergency services had to battle to free a 71-year-old woman who was trapped on the top deck of the bus for 90 minutes.
The woman, who comes from Norfolk, was flown by air ambulance to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge with a fractured pelvis and leg injuries. Her condition today is serious, but her injuries are not life-threatening.
Another woman was taken to Peterborough District Hospital with suspected neck and back injuries. Six people described as "walking wounded" were also taken to hospital for treatment.
An ambulance service spokesman said five casualties were treated at the scene.
The bus driver, a 59-year-old man from Norfolk, suffered minor injuries.
The bus, carrying 13 people, had been heading for Peterborough from Lowestoft.
Survivors and emergency services described seeing a scene of horror as dazed casualties wandered amid the twisted wreckage strewn across the road.
The road was closed for more than eight hours and, in total, three fire crews, both Anglia One and Two air ambulances, emergency medical charity Magpas's helicopter, six ambulances and several police officers dealt with the rescue operation.
Firefighters had to secure the bus, which was tilting into a ditch, using a winch, and cut out windows and unbolt seats to free the casualties.
Inspector Chris Skepper said at the scene that he believed the car may have gone into the path of the oncoming bus for some reason.
Incident Commander with the fire service Martin Boome said: "The bus left the road and landed face down in the ditch, which meant the casualties inside had difficulty in escaping from the vehicle.
"We rescued nine casualties from the vehicle by unbolting seats and removing a window. One of the casualties had to be lifted out by crews on a spinal board."
A spokesman for Magpas said: "In any scene like that, where you have a double-decker bus in a ditch, a car and people trapped at the scene, it's chaotic. People are walking around dazed and confused and in shock."
Executive director of the East Anglian Air Ambulance Simon Gray, said it was one of very few incidents where both helicopters had been scrambled because of the sheer volume of casualties.
First Eastern Counties spokesman Gussy Alamein said they would work with police on the investigation into the crash.
He added: "We would like to offer our deepest sympathies to the family of the car driver who tragically died in this incident."
Anyone with information should call police on 0845 456 4564.
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Friday 10 February 2012
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