Man killed, 16 taken to hospital, after bus crash
A Mercedes van driver was pronounced dead at the scene following a collision with a double decker bus on the A379 near Dream Machine Motorcycles, Modbury at 11.30am yesterday.
Eight people, some with serious injuries, were taken by a fleet of ambulances to Derriford Hospital. Another eight people who were not badly hurt were taken to Kingsbridge Hospital for check-ups by another bus.
The police helicopter, Devon Air Ambulance and four road ambulances ferried casualties to Derriford and Kingsbridge hospitals.
Four fire crews worked to remove the casualties from the bus, wedged between the van and a steep tree-lined bank.
Police said that the First double decker bus was heading towards Modbury when it collided with the Mercedes van belonging to an electrical parts company which was heading towards Kingsbridge at 11.30am. The accident happened on a narrow stretch of road surrounded by steep banks.
The front of the van belonging to Edmundson Electrical was badly crumpled against the front passenger side of the double decker bus completely blocking both lanes of the road. Edmundson Electrical have declined to comment.
Police and firefighters were yesterday afternoon preparing to cut free the dead man’s body behind screens.
It is thought the road will be closed until about 6pm tonight while accident investigators work and the wrecked vehicles are removed.
Sergeant Rich Rockey of the Plympton traffic unit said that the driver was still being identified at two o’clock this afternoon.
He said: “It must have been quite traumatic for the passengers some of whom are very elderly. There were several serious injuries but we believe that none were life threatening.
“This has been a major incident for the emergency services.”
Watch Commander, Nigel Toms, from Modbury fire station said that it was a very difficult operation to remove the casualties from the bus.
He said: “We had to put through some of the windows to remove some of the casualties on spinal boards. Our usual ways into the bus were blocked by the van and the bank beside it.
“There are a number of people who were injured on the bus and also distressed.”
Three air ambulance were scrambled but only one actually made it to the scene, three miles east of Modbury.
An ambulance spokesman said: “We have taken people to Derriford Hospital with range of injuries, including spinal, neck and hand injuries.”
Police have said that the driver of the van was 55-years-old.
The road was closed from Bamford Cross roundabout and diversions were put in place.
It was finally reopened at 11pm last night.
First bus spokesman Duncan McGraw said the double-decker bus was operating service 93 between Plymouth and Dartmouth when it was in collision with a white van.
He said: “The driver and some passengers from our bus were injured.
“We have sent our own accident investigators and are working closely with the local police to discover the cause of the accident.”
Nearly two hours after the crash, the First bus was still at the scene.
A Derriford Hospital spokeswoman said staff were coping well with the influx and it was "business as usual" for the emergency department.
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