Bus plunges down ravine
Published:Friday | December 31, 2010 | 12:00 AM
More than 20 injured in Brandon Hill crash
Monique Grange, Gleaner/Power 106 Reporter
There were anxious moments for more than 20 passengers aboard a Coaster bus travelling from Castleton, St Mary, to Kingston yesterday after the vehicle plunged 80 feet down a ravine injuring everyone on board.
The crash happened shortly before midday at an area known as 'Drive Carefully' in Brandon Hill, St Andrew.
According to Sergeant Byron Harrison of the Police Traffic Department, 10 women, 10 men and two children were on board when the bus went down the ravine.
Harrison was not immediately able to provide details on the extent of the injuries, but a policewoman said the injuries ranged from concussions to broken limbs.
Scores of spectators lined the streets to get a peek of the bus which was cushioned by bamboo more than halfway down the ravine. It took two hours from the time of the incident before the bus was finally pulled from the precipice by a wrecker.
Signs of the misfortune
When it emerged, bloodied seats, broken glass, shoes and other items strewn all over the vehicle were signs of the misfortune.
The police have not yet determined what led to the accident.
However, one passenger, identified only as Stephen, told The Gleaner/Power 106 News that it appeared the driver had fallen asleep.
"The bus was taking a corner and was trying to avoid hitting an embankment when the driver lost control," he said. "But it's like the driver fall asleep and, just as the bus hit the kerb, him jump up and panic and lock the steering but the bus swerve and go straight over."
Stephen said passers-by and emergency-response teams, including fire personnel, were quick on the scene and the injured persons were immediately transported to the Annotto Bay Hospital.
He said although he received minor injuries, he was able to help to remove some of the other injured passengers from the bus.
Among those he said he assisted was a two-year-old boy who had been feared dead when, initially, he could not be accounted for.
About an hour and a half after the incident, word quickly spread that the child was alive and was at hospital receiving treatment.