Bus driver 'failed to react in time' in double-death crash with HGV

A bus driver who was killed along with a passenger in a crash failed to react in time when an articulated lorry pulled out in front of his double-decker, a coroner concluded.

Driver Michael Elcombe, 45, from Swaffham, died from multiple injuries in the accident, which happened near Wisbech in Cambridgeshire in June 2018.

William Chapman, 76 from Kettering, who was a passenger on the upper deck was also declared dead at the scene.

The inquest heard that Mr Elcombe had previously "dozed off" at the wheel while driving.

Cambridgeshire coroner Simon Milburn concluded Mr Elcombe "did not react to the presence of an articulated lorry which was undertaking a right hand turn from a haulage depot", leading to the crash "at speed" at about 7.30am on 26 June.

He concluded that both men died as a result of a road traffic collision.

The two-day hearing had earlier been told by the driver's widow Sonia Elcombe that her husband would often stay up late before early shifts and she "truly dreaded" it would lead to a serious accident.

The First Eastern Counties bus collided with a lorry turning right on to the A47 from Bretts Transport yard at Guyhirn.

Mrs Elcombe said her husband had not been up late the night before the crash, but told the inquest he admitted to having once dozed off while driving before they knew each other.

She said she had travelled on buses when she suspected he had fallen asleep while driving, adding: "In my heart, I truly dreaded something like this might happen."

Cambridgeshire Police crash investigator Simon Burgin, who compiled a report on the crash, said footage from the camera in the bus suggested Mr Elcombe appeared to be suffering from some form of fatigue.

He said: "The impact and nature of the damage was very significant and had happened at high speed. The bus didn't appear to have done any kind of manoeuvre or slowing down.

"For me, the telling part is when the driver had contact with the steering wheel which became very sloppy, for want of a better word. The next thing you see is his reaction but it's too late.

"You see his facial expression change but it's too late."

The driver of the lorry, Tyrone Mundell-Phipps, said he had anticipated that the bus, which was about 450 yards away, would have plenty of time to slow down to allow him to turn.

But he added: "I knew an impact was inevitable and he wasn't going to stop or slow down in any way. The whole thing was no more than a few seconds."

Mr Mundell-Phipps then tried to help some of the injured passengers to get off the bus and to safety.

No one was prosecuted following the accident.

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