- School bus roof accident: Essex
- Lucky escape for students
- No serious injuries reported.
In a startling incident in Essex, two children narrowly escaped a potentially catastrophic situation when the roof of their school bus was violently torn off. Witnesses recounted the harrowing event, highlighting the fortunate outcome for the students involved.
The incident occurred at approximately 8:15 am on Clatterbury Lane in Clavering, a quiet village nestled between Bishop’s Stortford and Saffron Walden. Though the injuries sustained by the children are not deemed serious, local schools expressed concerns about the traumatic experience for the students.
Emergency services swiftly responded to the scene, with an air ambulance and fire crews among the vehicles dispatched.
Essex Fire and Rescue Service reported a school bus-car collision on the restricted road. The impact with a tree branch caused extensive damage to the bus’s roof. Thank goodness no one was trapped in either vehicle, and firefighters and other responders secured the situation by 9 am.
An eyewitness, Martin Philpott, who had two children on the bus, described the scene as “carnage” and “pretty horrific.” He emphasized the gravity of the situation, noting that it had the potential to be a major catastrophe. Miraculously, the children escaped with minor cuts and bruises, a fact Mr. Philpott described as nothing short of a miracle.
Mr. Philpott recounted that the bus appeared to collide with a tree while passing a car, resulting in the roof landing on another car just as a woman’s son was boarding the bus.
One bus student dove down to get his phone moments before the crash, saving him.
The affected students were from two schools, Saffron Walden County High School and Joyce Frankland Academy. The academy also verified the event involving Stephenson’s school bus 446 and emphasised the students’ trauma. While some students received attention for minor cuts and grazes, there have been no reports of serious injuries.
A statement from the academy reassured parents that they would be contacted directly, and the school had made arrangements to collect the students and provide a safe space within the school for those who may be in shock or upset due to the events.
