Two buses crash in Brighton city centre (BBC News)

[whole diary]

[JayMac]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page)

Two double-decker buses have crashed into each other in a city centre, leaving two people with life-threatening injuries.

The collision happened just after 09:20 BST in North Street, Brighton, close to the clock tower, Sussex Police said.

Three others have been seriously injured, a spokesman for the force said.

Drivers have been advised to avoid the city centre by police, who have declared it a major incident.

The spokesman said: "In addition to those seriously injured, six to eight people are understood to be 'walking wounded' with minor injuries. A walk-in centre for anyone injured has been set up at the top of Queen's Road near the railway station."

Driver 'stuck in seat'

Aaron Tierney, who lives just above where the crash happened, said: "I heard a big bang and looked out the window to see two buses crashed into each other. I could see the driver of one of the buses stuck in his seat. There were a lot of people around him, including ambulance services. They had to cut him out. One of the other bus drivers looked really upset. I saw a few other people, mainly elderly, being helped off the bus. People were bringing out chairs and water for them from the shops nearby."



The Kent, Surrey and Sussex air ambulance landed next to Brighton Pavilion. A seriously injured patient was treated by the onboard doctor and paramedic before being taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital.

South East Coast Ambulance said in total seven patients had been taken to the Royal Sussex, and a further six patients taken to the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath.

A spokesman said another 10 patients had been treated at the scene and did not require hospital treatment.

Martin Harris, managing director of Brighton and Hove Buses, said an investigation was under way.

[Chris from Nailsea]

An update, from the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Brighton bus crash driver 'told supervisor he felt unwell'

The driver of a bus that crashed in Brighton, injuring 19 people, told his supervisor hours before he felt unwell, his company has confirmed.

He remains in a serious but stable condition after the crash on Monday - 18 others were treated in hospital.

Brighton and Hove Buses said its investigation was primarily focussing on the driver's health at the time of the collision. It added the driver had no previous history of the illness he experienced.

Mark Turner, from the GMB Union, said it was looking into claims the driver reported to management he was ill but was "instructed or advised that he needed to go out to work that day". "If those facts are true, then it's a serious position the company is in," he added.

However, Brighton and Hove Buses managing director, Martin Harris, said: "The allegations that he was pressured by the company to work after earlier feeling unwell are unfounded." He said: "Our supervisor correctly advised him not to commence his duty and to advise whether he felt able to drive or not later. Our driver subsequently, and of his own volition, reported back to a second supervisor, advising that he then felt fine to drive and would commence work."

He then "appears to have become ill again" after driving for about 90 minutes, Mr Harris said.

The BBC has been unable to speak to the driver because of his serious condition, or to any family members.

Sussex Police is investigating the cause of the crash.


The more seriously injured people were treated at two hospitals

A total of 13 people were treated at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton and six in the Princess Royal in Haywards Heath, 20 miles away, following the collision.

A walk-in centre for the less seriously injured was set up near the city's main railway station.

Initially, the emergency services said two people had suffered life-threatening injuries, but Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals officials later confirmed it was one person.

Students Zoe Dellow and Ellie Vinehall, who went to help out, described seeing one driver trapped in his cab and a second man with a deep head wound.