BBC One ambulance doc shows how Orpington bus crash unfolded

Episode 5 of BAFTA award winning ‘Ambulance’ begins following incident response officers Rachel and Pete, who each travelled around 12 miles to the scene after a flurry of calls from distressed passengers on two buses that were involved in a collision with a third vehicle.

Despite the efforts of forty ambulance staff who responded, bus driver Kenneth Matcham, 60, tragically died from his injuries.

Garrett Emmerson, London Ambulance Service CEO, said: “It is heart-breaking to see such a scene of devastation where so many people have been injured and tragically, a London bus driver lost his life.

“The expertise and professionalism of London Ambulance Service colleagues is evident for all to see, from the call handlers talking to the injured and traumatised on the phone, to the incident response officers in charge of the scene, to the paramedics providing that one to one care at the roadside.

“We are constantly innovating so that we can keep pace with the various and ever-changing emergency and urgent care needs of nine million Londoners.

“Often today that can mean sending specialists in midwifery, or mental health, or elderly fallers. Sometimes though it means lots of resources in one place, making sense of a chaotic scene, and saving multiple lives at a significant or major incident.

“We come into our own during those dark times and I take this opportunity to say thank you to everyone involved in responding to the incident in Orpington last year, and to those across the Service who have responded to any large-scale incidents in the capital.”

Dorjan Cera, 20, was jailed for seven years and eight months in August after he was found guilty of causing Mr Matcham's death by dangerous driving.

Mr Matcham was "ejected" from the single-decker bus he was driving after it was struck Cera's car shortly after 10pm.

The impact caused the bus to hit a second single-decker travelling in the opposite direction in Sevenoaks Road, leaving multiple passengers injured.

Nicola and Maisie, a Mum and daughter crew who work together on a double crewed ambulance, join LAS colleagues on scene to treat the injured and traumatised.

Maisie tended to one of the bus drivers, treating his injuries, comforting him as the enormity of what has happened started to sink in.

Emergency Ambulance Crew Maisie, who has been with LAS for two years and was just 20 at the time of the crash said: “A scene like that is so chaotic, it can feel overwhelming.

"When I look at what other people my age are seeing and experiencing, it’s very different to my job. 20 year olds don’t really find themselves in those situations.”

The episode airs on BBC One at 9pm tonight.