Video: Bus crash in Grove Park (From News Shopper)

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Video: Bus crash in Grove Park

3:58pm Wednesday 11th June 2008

comment Comments (42) Have your say »

By Robert Fisk »

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SEVEN people were injured after a bus collided with a tree and a fence in Grove Park.

The incident happened at around 11am in Baring Road near the junction of Coopers Lane.

Four people were taken to Lewisham Hospital and treated for minor injuries.

Eyewitness Sophie Claire watched the accident take place near her house.

She says the 261 double-decker was coming from the Lewisham when it came across the road and struck a tree.

Ms Claire, 20, said: "The noise was like a gas explosion and I heard a big bang."

It is not yet known what caused the accident.

A spokesman for Metrobus said they would be assisting the police with their investigations.

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sally, sydenham says...
2:30pm Wed 11 Jun 08

do they not teach people how to drive buses and take precautions in avoiding hitting trees!! get an eye test and the bus companys should teach their drivers to control n drive buses!! not endanger there passengers and drive into trees!!

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mt, says...
3:32pm Wed 11 Jun 08

Sally, the cause is unknown. what if the driver had a heart attack or blacked out ?would you be so free with your stupid comments then ?

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sarah, says...
3:35pm Wed 11 Jun 08

Sally, you need to apologise, the bus driver had a heart attack and as yet we don't know if he survived, I hope you're ashamed of yourself!

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Stranger, Dartford says...
3:41pm Wed 11 Jun 08

Where in the report does it state that the driver had a heart attack? Are you a family member or friend? Did anyone not take into account that their may have been a problem with tbe bus and not the driver?

So many questions.

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GOD, UP ERE says...
4:18pm Wed 11 Jun 08

sally wrote:
do they not teach people how to drive buses and take precautions in avoiding hitting trees!! get an eye test and the bus companys should teach their drivers to control n drive buses!! not endanger there passengers and drive into trees!!

HA HA Sally, yet another who opens her cakehole without first checking her facts. MORON

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rover, bexley says...
6:40pm Wed 11 Jun 08

sally wrote:
do they not teach people how to drive buses and take precautions in avoiding hitting trees!! get an eye test and the bus companys should teach their drivers to control n drive buses!! not endanger there passengers and drive into trees!!

sally you r sooo right bus drivers are dangerous and useless they should be tested to high standerd likr lorry drivers........

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tired of life, says...
7:02pm Wed 11 Jun 08

whenever I board a 353 Metrobus at Addington Interchange it always reaks of cannabis. Is this the drivers passengers or both?

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george, Bexley says...
8:16pm Wed 11 Jun 08

rover wrote:

sally wrote: do they not teach people how to drive buses and take precautions in avoiding hitting trees!! get an eye test and the bus companys should teach their drivers to control n drive buses!! not endanger there passengers and drive into trees!!
sally you r sooo right bus drivers are dangerous and useless they should be tested to high standerd likr lorry drivers........

Useless,like your English.

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angry bus driver, erith says...
8:22pm Wed 11 Jun 08

at the end of the day you can slag off bus drivers all you want but you don't know the facts so how about being quiet and keeping your stupid comments to yourself until you know more sally and rover

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Bus Driver, bexleyheath says...
9:01pm Wed 11 Jun 08

Typical for this site, people put their mouth into action before their brain is in gear.

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The Catford Cat, Catford says...
9:57pm Wed 11 Jun 08

Not unusual for web forums - the ratio of opinions to knowledge is somewhat high...

The PCV (passenger carrying vehicle) driver training and test is broadly similar to that for LGV (large goods vehicle)

If *some* bus drivers are a bit less dedicated than they were in "the good old days" people might like to consider whether the crappy attitude that the great british public (whether company directors or on the dole) take towards bus drivers and people in any other 'service' jobs, and the effect that has on people deciding whether to take or stay in the job...

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Emma, Sidcup says...
10:10pm Wed 11 Jun 08

Ahh, I think its sad when something like this happens- nobodys fault but just an accident- at least nobody was killed!

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bruce lee, sundridge park says...
10:30pm Wed 11 Jun 08

They shouldnt let potential heart attack victims drive busus, simple!

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BIGJDC, Longfield says...
10:41pm Wed 11 Jun 08

Dear Sally,
It is comments by people like you that make our job difficult. We are out there for 8 hours a day providing a service for people like you, and all you can do when something bad happens is say it must be the drivers fault. As it happens, the driver was taken ill - he did NOT deliberately ram the tree. Comments like yours only serve to make our job harder and increase the negativity that we face from customers and drivers alike every day.

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Reader, Bexley says...
10:41pm Wed 11 Jun 08

What a nice bunch of so and so on here today very happy people. I do hope that the driver is well and all its passengers as well, not what everyone expects in the normal working day. Get well soon everyone hurt

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ME, here says...
11:02pm Wed 11 Jun 08

they serving the public! how horrible your comments! which 1 of u does this?? Could not be helped as doing his job

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me!!, London says...
11:06pm Wed 11 Jun 08

bruce lee wrote:
They shouldnt let potential heart attack victims drive busus, simple!

Shut up you prat!!

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ali, Bromley says...
11:57pm Wed 11 Jun 08

bruce lee wrote:
They shouldnt let potential heart attack victims drive busus, simple!

Are you a completely ingorant person, A heart attack can strike at anytime, it could happen to a person driving a car, bus drivers under go medical examinations,The amount of strees these drivers have to endure whilst at work is unbelieveable, passenger hurling abuse at them, youths making trouble, why dont you try it for a day and you might understand what its like, people like you make me sick, Hope all who were involved have a speedy recovery,

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jo, baring rd says...
5:41am Thu 12 Jun 08

well,,, actually sallys right,there were 2 metro men on that bus talking to the driver,, as they do,my dad was a driver for years and not all drivers are the same but i watched all that crash with others and they should have been sitting in seats like other passengers,this distracts the drivers attention and these 2 men thought it was funny as ppl were being helped off the bus by my son,,who was only wearing his boxers.they did not help at all

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angi, home says...
6:34am Thu 12 Jun 08

me!! wrote:

bruce lee wrote: They shouldnt let potential heart attack victims drive busus, simple!
Shut up you prat!!

as if the poor blokes gonna know hes gonna have a heart attack, soe people need a kick up the jacksy before judging others

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Driver, london says...
8:29am Thu 12 Jun 08

I work for Metrobus and i can tell all you people making stupid comments, YOU DONT KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT!!!! I was in the driving school learning to drive the bus for 5 weeks, i had to do another theory test and the hazard perception test. We also have random drugs and alcohol tests, the reason the bus stinks of weed is because of the scum chavs who occupy the top rear seats are well...scum. The people who come on here making stupid comments are the same people that try and get on the bus for free because they are tramps and dont want to fork out 90 pence. Oh and 'Rover' get your self a dictionary and learn how to spell correctly, obviously you never learned English the a high "standerd"!

As for the drivers standing up front we have been told not to do that. Any drivers found to be doing so will face disciplinary action.

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DSK, Lewisham says...
11:33am Thu 12 Jun 08

I was on the bus yesterday and although I'm not sure exactly why the bus came off the road, all the talk was that the driver either passed out or fell asleep. Whichever it was I'm **** angry as it was just pure luck that no one was seriously injured or even killed. I escaped with a really sore arm, bruises etc but the lady behind me had blood pouring out of her mouth after hitting it on a post and a lot of people were walking around outside upset and shocked.
Some of the people living nearby were fantastic though, coming outside and helping people, offering cups of tea, water etc and someone even gave me a lift to Grove Park station.
I'm so angry that our lives were put in danger by someone that, for whatever reason, SHOULD NOT have been behind the wheel.

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MB, SE says...
11:43am Thu 12 Jun 08

So..Bus drivers are all saints and never drive under the influence of drink or drugs. Never speed, not signal or drive erratically. All those monster red things I keep seeing on the road are a figment of my imagination.

There are a few reasons I dont get on busses. The people driving them being one of them.

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sally, says...
12:10pm Thu 12 Jun 08

no u see technicly u can have the healthiest person n a heart attack can occur at any time,but if the driver fell asleep the why did he even drive the bus then? it is at times drivers thought and i had a negative viewing to this cause last week i was on a bus from lewisham and the driver had rammed into the back of some ones car as the were turning the corner, but i think the bus companies should take more precautions before letting there drivers go out on the road, i have a relative thats just started working on the buses and they dont take that many tests and precautions.

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mt, says...
1:14pm Thu 12 Jun 08

DSK wrote:
I was on the bus yesterday and although I'm not sure exactly why the bus came off the road, all the talk was that the driver either passed out or fell asleep. Whichever it was I'm **** angry as it was just pure luck that no one was seriously injured or even killed. I escaped with a really sore arm, bruises etc but the lady behind me had blood pouring out of her mouth after hitting it on a post and a lot of people were walking around outside upset and shocked. Some of the people living nearby were fantastic though, coming outside and helping people, offering cups of tea, water etc and someone even gave me a lift to Grove Park station. I'm so angry that our lives were put in danger by someone that, for whatever reason, SHOULD NOT have been behind the wheel.

lives are at risk everyday I mean can you be sure that you wont pass out/trip in front of on coming traffic, or fall down stairs and land on someone. Glad you got a lift to Grove Park station...just one question tho, did you bother your ar*e to ask how the driver was ?? NO prob not, as long as your arm is ok eh. shame you didnt bang yer head.

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i was there, baring rd says...
1:40pm Thu 12 Jun 08

me and my brother were the first at the scene my brother waws only in is boxers and it was me and him that took the risk of helping overs off the bus, we was frightened we did not no what to expect but we helped the injured as much as we could we are young and unsefish there was 2 other metro collegues on the bus at the time and all they was laughing about was whoever hasnt gt a valid ticket cant claim i think that is disgusting and unprofessional they should have done the descent thing and offered there help instead of standing together and laughing thank god there was no fatalitys but the situation could have been different and they wouldnt have been aware because they wasnt interested they didnt even once assist a single person there was one lady there that wet herself from shock she thought it was a bomb the bus driver did not have a heart attack or collapse he was the 1st of the bus he did not have medical attention he was fine i was the last person to leave along with the police read the south london press tomorrow for the story there is a photo that i took in there read it and then see for yaselfs i think there could have been something wrong with the actual bus itself so im afraid the driver is innocent untill proven otherwise remember watever happened the driver is proberly just as upset as everyone he could have lost his life to doing a service for the public i jusy hope them metro collegues that were n the bus get disiplined for there actions!!!if you would like to email me its blujayde@hotmail.co.
uk

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mt, says...
1:44pm Thu 12 Jun 08

Well done to you both. x

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another bus driver, says...
2:38pm Thu 12 Jun 08

Finally, someone with a different comment. The companies aren't taking precautions! They work us 5 days a week with ridiculous 8-12 hours shifts and if we ring up sick it has to be a genuine reason otherwise we don't get pay or possibly get sacked.

Not sure what happened here but many accidents shouldn't happened simply due to companies working us too hard, drivers not getting much time off, sending out mechanical buses, etc.

By the way, why is everyone saying the driver had a heart attack?

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sarah, 467-489 says...
3:21pm Thu 12 Jun 08

Of course Im not going to make comments like that without the facts. I was at a meeting at the local surgery on Baring Road where the doctor was called to the scene, when he returned he explained that the bus driver had had a heart attack - END OF STORY - all you muppets just wind your necks in!

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mt, says...
3:28pm Thu 12 Jun 08

Oooooh hark at Smug Sarah with all the facts.

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haha, says...
3:42pm Thu 12 Jun 08

maybe if sarah actually commented on that with the facts then maybe we wouldn't doubted her. How we know if the doctor was telling the truth? From others there was two other bus drivers on the bus. They would not be laughing if they knew what happen to the driver

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mt, says...
3:46pm Thu 12 Jun 08

or maybe...just maybe smug sarah knows Jack sh*t.

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bob, Bromley says...
4:06pm Thu 12 Jun 08

tired of life wrote:
whenever I board a 353 Metrobus at Addington Interchange it always reaks of cannabis. Is this the drivers passengers or both?

And what has this to do with a bus crash on a different route?

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Bob, Bromley says...
4:10pm Thu 12 Jun 08

ali wrote:

bruce lee wrote: They shouldnt let potential heart attack victims drive busus, simple!
Are you a completely ingorant person, A heart attack can strike at anytime, it could happen to a person driving a car, bus drivers under go medical examinations,The amount of strees these drivers have to endure whilst at work is unbelieveable, passenger hurling abuse at them, youths making trouble, why dont you try it for a day and you might understand what its like, people like you make me sick, Hope all who were involved have a speedy recovery,

Agreed 100%

Also agree Bruce lee is a prat!

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george, Bexley says...
9:08pm Thu 12 Jun 08

tired of life wrote:
whenever I board a 353 Metrobus at Addington Interchange it always reaks of cannabis. Is this the drivers passengers or both?

The whole of Addington stinks of cannibis thats what the residents spend their dole money on.

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Kay, Erith says...
9:23pm Thu 12 Jun 08

people are people no matter what role they play in life. You cannot stop people from making mistakes. Just be thankful that this mistake was not fatal. Not many bus drivers have crashes, and they are driving a huge vehicle with much distraction, compared to drivers of small vehicles. They seem to have the most accidents. So take into consideration it is not everydaya bus driver conducts a crash.

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sharon, spain says...
11:19pm Thu 12 Jun 08

I like to keep in touch with what's happening where I used to live. It would seem that most of the comments posted are by uneducated, in one way or another, people. Get a life!!!

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Lou, says...
10:45am Fri 13 Jun 08

sharon wrote:
I like to keep in touch with what\'s happening where I used to live. It would seem that most of the comments posted are by uneducated, in one way or another, people. Get a life!!!

You are so right! I have no knowledge of this incident and therefore will not comment other than to say I am really glad there were no serious injuries. I kept coming back to read the comments because many were so outrageous.
I wish people would stop and think what they are saying, some comments are potentially hurtful to others and have no substance to them!

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Jasper, Down pub says...
7:28pm Fri 13 Jun 08

Take the train next time & get a life, you sad people. It didn't really happen.

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driver, london says...
12:03pm Sat 14 Jun 08

"So..Bus drivers are all saints and never drive under the influence of drink or drugs. Never speed, not signal or drive erratically. All those monster red things I keep seeing on the road are a figment of my imagination.

There are a few reasons I dont get on busses. The people driving them being one of them."

Of course there are bus drivers that do drink and drugs the same as any other area of life, its the same for the driving there are bad drivers there are good drivers. IF you look at other car drivers you will see them making far more mistakes than a bus driver does, you think they are pulling out on you when you see them indicate and accelerate pass the speed limit because it would be the end of the world if they got out in front of you and cost you 30 seconds of your life! As for saying bus drivers dont indicate also look at car drivers at a roundabout see how many of them actually indicate properly so open your eyes and check your own driving before commenting on others.

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Driver, london says...
12:06pm Sat 14 Jun 08

As for the drivers laughing you are correct its wrong but people deal with shock in different ways. They were victims of this accident as well just because they are drivers doesnt make them sub-human.

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slm, local says...
9:41pm Mon 16 Jun 08

blimey i fell real sorry for the poor driver if he reads these comments ACCIDENTS HAPPEN no matter who you are what you look like etc they happen!!!!!!!!!!!!co
ppers and driving instructors hold an advanced driving licence and they still have accidents so cut the guy some slack what ever caused it hope all involed make a speedy recovery

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