July 28, 2017 3.42 pm This story is over 80 months old

Passenger’s praise for quick-thinking driver after double-decker smashes into falling tree

Passengers have described the moment a tree fell into the path of a double-decker carrying 18 people, including children, near Louth. The crash happened on Lincoln Road in Welton Le Wold at around 11.40am on Friday, July 28, involving a Stagecoach blue, white and orange bus. An eyewitness on the bus said the vehicle had been travelling…

Passengers have described the moment a tree fell into the path of a double-decker carrying 18 people, including children, near Louth.

The crash happened on Lincoln Road in Welton Le Wold at around 11.40am on Friday, July 28, involving a Stagecoach blue, white and orange bus.

An eyewitness on the bus said the vehicle had been travelling at speed when the tree began to fall in its path. They praised the driver who had braked sharply before colliding with the debris.

Thankfully there were no injuries reported, however the bus was substantially damaged in the crash.

A passenger on the bus, who wished not to be named, said: “Credit to the driver for stopping in time. We were just on route on time when the tree started falling towards the road.

“The driver hit the brakes and it hit the front of the bus. A chunk of the tree went under the bus and it threw us all about.

“The driver was straight up out of his seat and ran upstairs to check on the kids because he was worried.

“The emergency services arrived quickly and were great at keeping the kids entertained until another bus arrived to pick us up.”

A Lincolnshire Police spokesperson said: “Closures were put on the A631 and A157 junction.

“Engineers have now removed the tree, the bus has been recovered. Debris was kindly removed by a local land owner.”

The road was reopened at 1.30pm.