School bus driver keeps licence after Colchester roundabout crash which injured children

A bus driver who crashed into a roundabout with a coach full of schoolchildren will not lose his licence.

Obi Okpechi admitted driving without due care or attention following the crash in Essex last October which saw a number of students injured and taken hospital.

The 62-year-old, of Chesthunt, Colchester, was also seriously injured when the Mercedes Tourismo M2 bus ploughed headlong into a tree on the roundabout after travelling along the A12 access road at Cymbeline Way.

Emergency services spent a couple of hours trying to free Okpechi from the cab of the bus before he was taken to hospital by air ambulance.

Magistrates heard Okpechi, who was driving 40 pupils to Colchester County High School for Girls, failed to slow down quickly enough as he approached the junction and ended up mounting the central reservation.

But, following a hearing, magistrates in Colchester decided he could keep his driving licence, and instead chose to fine him and endorse his licence with nine points.

Following the crash, police officers were seen entering the coach to remove all the school bags and belongings before it was winched off the tree and onto a lorry by emergency services.

Pupils could be seen sitting on the roundabout, wrapped in foil blankets, as police, fire and ambulance crews dealt with the aftermath.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know