Road Closed.

I signed on at 12:44 today for duty 3608. Actually I was about 10, 15 minutes early which I usually am so I stood around and annoyed the controllers, which I usually do. Then at 12:54 I walked down to the Newton Road to take over a bus heading to Newton Abbot. It was due at 13:02 and arrived at 13:00. After a brief chat with the driver coming off I checked the mirror and started my trip up to Newton. Less than a minute later another 12 driver came on the radio to announce that there had been a serious crash at the Moor Park Road junction with the Newton Road. Ten minutes later I was in stationary traffic and news was filtering through that the accident was in deed serious and some one had been killed. Once there is a serious accident the police treat the roadway as a 'Scene of crime.' and forensic experts are sent to gather evidence so the cause of and possible blame for the collision can be determined. I had originally come to rest about 300 yards from the scene but as the minutes ticked by we gradually moved forward.
I had explained to my passengers that the road would be closed for some time but this slow steady progress lead them to believe I was mistaken. What was happening was car and other small vehicle drivers, as they realised how long the wait would be were turning round and going back towards Torquay and we were just filling in their space. Eventually, about 2 hours after the collision occurred I got close enough to see the damaged car. By now the police had decided to turn the buses round and send them back to Torquay as well. Passengers were exchanged, those on the Newton bound buses walked up the road and were put on buses which had been turned back to Newton and those from the north boarded a bus now heading for Torquay. This got everyone to where they were going without too prolonged a delay. It also meant that there were buses in Newton Abbot when two secondary schools finished for the day. Last time the road was closed this didn't happen until an hour after the schools let out.

Eventually at 16:20 the police reopened the road and gradually traffic got back to normal.

The above photo is of one of our drivers. A special mention for him. He lives near the scene of the crash and was on his way to work. Usually he gets a bus the 3 miles down to the depot. When he found out there would be no buses running he at once set off walking. I've know some who would have gone home again and waited for the road to open, so well done that driver.

Item from Herald Express

MAN, 87, DIES IN LORRY SMASH

11:00 - 08 January 2008

A torquay man died and his elderly passenger was left with serious leg injuries after a horrific crash brought parts of South Devon to a standstill yesterday.Initial reports said the pair were trapped in their white Ford Fiesta after it was in collision with a truck on the main A380 Torquay to Newton Abbot Road, close to the Roman Jones' cafe.It is thought the 87-year-old man driving the car may have suffered a heart attack.The woman passenger, also in her 80s, was last night in Torbay Hospital with 'life-changing' injuries.The truck driver was shocked, but otherwise uninjured.Emergency services were quickly on the scene to help the casualties and start to find out what had happened.A thorough investigation by road traffic collision investigators meant the road was kept closed for over three hours.It spelt traffic misery for drivers in Torquay and Newton Abbot as long tailbacks built up. Bus passengers as far away as Paignton were also caught in the subsequent gridlock.Ambulance crews arrived just before 1pm and were assisted by two crews from Torquay fire station.A fire spokesman said: "The man had a suspected cardiac arrest and the woman had suffered leg injuries."We were called in by the ambulance service to help get the driver out."When we arrived the decision was taken to get him out as soon as possible on a spinal board. No cutting was needed though."Then we helped to get the woman from the car and into the ambulance."Police set up diversions to try to ease the traffic problems, but vehicles faced tailbacks in several areas.Both the St Marychurch Road from Torquay to Newton Abbot and the back road between Kingskerswell and the Barn Owl saw delays of several miles through the afternoon.As diversions were also set up at the Penn Inn roundabout, traffic built up on the approach from Exeter.Late yesterday police were in the process of breaking the news of the tragedy to the driver's family.The coroner has been informed and an inquest is due to take place in the next few days to take evidence and formally identify the man.