Girl, 16, and bus driver still in hospital after bus crash as police keep 'open mind'

Police are keeping an “open mind” into the cause of the collision just after 10am yesterday on Bishopstoke Road, Eastleigh. The bus started its journey in Knowle, then went on to Swanmore and Bishop's Waltham before the crash in Eastleigh.

The college bus for students was attending Barton Peveril Sixth Form College and left the carriageway into a shallow part of the river. There were 19 passengers on board the bus at the time plus the driver, police confirmed.

The driver and one passenger - a 69-year-old man and 16-year-old girl - suffered serious injuries and remain in hospital for treatment, police said. A further three passengers – two girls and one boy all aged 17 - sustained serious injuries and have since been discharged from hospital.

Fifteen other passengers aged between 16 and 18 suffered minor injuries. Three of these have received hospital treatment. The road was reopened at about 1am this morning, following a complex recovery of the bus alongside the fire service.

Detective Sergeant Gary Doughty, of the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: "This must have been a terrifying ordeal for everyone on the bus and for the families of the young passengers.

"We have worked closely with staff from the college to contact the families of all those involved and I want to thank the college for their assistance with this, as well as our ambulance and fire service colleagues for their help with the injured parties and recovery of the bus.

"Several members of the public helped passengers out of the bus before emergency services arrived and we have also had some initial witnesses who have given us key information to help us establish what happened.

"While we understand it will be tempting for people and the media to speculate on the potential causes of the collision, we just want to stress that officers are in the early stages of their investigation and are keeping an open mind.

"This will be a thorough investigation and all lines of enquiry will be followed to determine the circumstances."

As part of our investigation police are appealing for witnesses and anyone with relevant dash cam footage to come forward.

You can call 101 quoting reference number 44250281666, or make a report online at: https://www.hampshire.police.uk/tua/tell-us-about/cor/tell-us-about-existing-case-report/