This isn’t the first time we have reported on an accident where a bus has sheered its roof off when trying to get under a bridge. Whilst it is somewhat surprising given that heights are often clearly marked and identifiable in both vehicles and on bridges themselves, this is something that keeps on happening.
In this latest incident in Rochdale, 17 people were reportedly hurt when the whole roof of the bus was sheared off when it tried to get underneath the bridge. Paramedics treated passengers at the scene and several of those injured were taken to hospital, with some serious injuries being reported.
The incident occurred on Milkstone Road on Wednesday and the bus involved was apparently not on its usual route. The police are investigating and one man has been taken to hospital with a broken jaw, and a woman has been taken to hospital with what has been described as serious facial injuries.
Images of the scene are quite disturbing. There is quite an evident difference in height between the bridge and the bus, and it seems clear to anyone that the vehicle was too tall to safely make it under. Investigations in to how the Rochdale bus crash occurred are underway by both the police and First UK Bus who operated the service involved.
Luckily no one was trapped or killed, and as with most incidents of this nature, it could have been a whole lot worse. As is said earlier, these kinds of incidents happen too often, and we’re used to representing victims for bus compensation claims. I myself was involved in one, just a few years back.