Coach Overturns on M40 Exit sliproad

[David Goddard]

Just heard on the radio that a coach has overturned on the exit sliproad from the M40 near Oxford.

Reports online at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-11978007 and
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/M40-Coach-Crash-Near-Thame-Oxfordshire-25-Passengers-And-Driver-Taken-To-Hospital-With-Injuries/Article/201012215852088?f=rss

The Sky report states it was a single deck vehicle,  but the picture on the same report does look like a double deck, which appears to be an Oxford Tube.

[Adam Dowling]

Sloppy journalism from Sky News as usual then. Last time they a double deck coach went over (that National Express Skyliner) the accompanying picture was of a single deck Irizar which was involved in a totally separate earlier crash!

[Danny]

Oh dear, not good news, and it looks a pretty serious accident. I hope everyone is OK in the end.
The article says someone was thrown clear of the vehicle, suggesting that - as per usual - some idiot wasn't wearing their seatbelt.

It doesn't help the case towards double deckers being safe, even though the other Tube that overturned was due to a maniac passenger, the public won't see it as that.

[Mutly]

It was a Van Hool, 50226 OU59AVB,  the damage looks quite extensive, no reports yet on how it happened,

[J621BVG]

I don't suppose the road conditions were particularily bad there from what the pictures show. Black ice? If not, I suppose driver error or some idiot cut the coach up whilst overtaking, forcing it to veer off.

[TonyMaxwell]

The Sky report mentions the coach was leaving the M40 at Junction 7.  That isn't a normal exit point.  The exit for Oxford is at Junction 8 which is not a slip-road as such but a straight run-off to become the A40.
The only reason I can think of for the Oxford Tube to leave the M40 at Junction 7 is to drop someone off.  Perhaps the passenger thrown clear was the person hoping to be dropped off at that point. 
I suppose we will find out in due course.

[David Goddard]

The latest report I have heard on BBC Berkshire was that the vehicle did strike the crash barrier, and that all windows on one side have smashed.  It was also mentioned that the interior was wrecked.

Short piece of film now online at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-11979074

[Danny]

The exit for Oxford is at Junction 8 which is not a slip-road as such but a straight run-off to become the A40.
The only reason I can think of for the Oxford Tube to leave the M40 at Junction 7 is to drop someone off.  Perhaps the passenger thrown clear was the person hoping to be dropped off at that point.

An interesting point. Looking at Google Street view, the slip roads for junctions 7 and 8 both start similarly as relatively straight uphill gradients, but junction 7 has a sharp bend at the end - which is exactly the point the coach crashed at.

I know bus drivers can miss turnings etc when two routes run in parallel and then split, but could a coach driver confuse two motorway exits? There is no way to get back onto the motorway at junction 7, so it would have to have gone on quite a hefty detour if it was just dropping one passenger off.

[hobohippie95]

di anyone else notice, the sky report says 35 people were taken to hospital and the bbc report says 17 - that is confusing

[alex397]

I hope the passengers and driver are ok.

Do you think the Van Hools might be taken off the road because of this? Seeing as the double-decks on the National Express were taken off the road. I suppose we should wait and see what happens.

[Adam Dowling]

di anyone else notice, the sky report says 35 people were taken to hospital and the bbc report says 17 - that is confusing

17 people were taken to hospital, 33 passengers were on the coach in total according to the BBC article...once again sloppy journalism from Sky News 

I hope the passengers and driver are ok.

Do you think the Van Hools might be taken off the road because of this? Seeing as the double-decks on the National Express were taken off the road. I suppose we should wait and see what happens.

National Express only took the Skyliners off the road as a knee-jerk reaction (plus there wasn't that many being operated), it turned out there was nothing wrong with that coach apart from the driver tampering with the speed limiter.

Stagecoach operate a large number of VanHools so I'd be surprised if they did, especially as they don't know what caused the crash yet.

[Jamie V (AO02RBX)]

I hope the passengers and driver are ok.

Do you think the Van Hools might be taken off the road because of this? Seeing as the double-decks on the National Express were taken off the road. I suppose we should wait and see what happens.

It would be a big job to pull the remaining 24 Van Hool Astromega's with Man EEV engine's off the road as there is really anyway that could get another 26 high spec'd Coaches over to cover whilst they investigate the causes. I suspect it could be a driver error for coming off at the wrong juction and he might of thought it was Jnc8 but came off Jnc7 so wasnt expecting the bend!
We shall wait and see ive heard no more what happend to the other Astromega that went over on the M40 earlier on in year anyone else heard anymore?

[Mutly]

I hope the passengers and driver are ok.

Do you think the Van Hools might be taken off the road because of this? Seeing as the double-decks on the National Express were taken off the road. I suppose we should wait and see what happens.

It would be a big job to pull the remaining 24 Van Hool Astromega's with Man EEV engine's off the road as there is really anyway that could get another 26 high spec'd Coaches over to cover whilst they investigate the causes. I suspect it could be a driver error for coming off at the wrong juction and he might of thought it was Jnc8 but came off Jnc7 so wasnt expecting the bend!
We shall wait and see ive heard no more what happend to the other Astromega that went over on the M40 earlier on in year anyone else heard anymore?

 I've heard its back in Belgium being rebuilt

[Big Rob]

Iv seen reports of a Scania Goldline Spec from Oxford doing the Tube recently, so might see one or two on a more pernament basis out now?