Cyclist sought after coach comes off worst

Maybe a reason to make schoolkids wear helmets on coaches like they did when
on a school walk out at Goathland the other day.

QUOTE:

AN accident involving a pedal cyclist and a van left a school coach carrying
41 children stuck in a ditch at the side of a road in Farnham. The crash
happened in Tilford Road, close to the Duke of Cambridge pub, at around
3.45pm on Monday. The single decker coach was carrying children from
Waverley Abbey School. A girl and a boy aged between eight and 11 were put
in neck braces and taken to the Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford
suffering from whiplash-type injuries.

A number of other children were treated at the scene for shock, as was the
coach driver.

PC Joe McGregor, speaking at the scene on Monday afternoon, said: "The road
has a shallow turn. We have interviewed the driver of the coach and we are
to visit and interview the driver of the van."

Surrey Police said on Tuesday that the cyclist - who officers were
originally trying to trace - had now come forward and been spoken to.

"Officers also spoke to a number of other witnesses following the incident,"
a spokeswoman added
PC McGregor said that parents were able to pick up their children very
quickly after the accident.

The youngsters got out of the coach through the emergency exit and gathered
on the driveway of a nearby house, where the owner helped to look after them
by handing out blankets and warm drinks.

Headteacher David Jeffs plus two other members of staff from Waverley Abbey
School also went to the scene to conduct a head count and manage the
situation when parents arrived.

Tilford Road was closed in both directions for just under six hours while
recovery of the coach took place.

http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/s/21...ch_after_crash

--
Simon Mason