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Bus and gritter collide
A BUS transporting students to school collided with a gritter in Mickleby on Tuesday morning.
The bus was heading for Caedmon School and Whitby Community College and was carrying pupils who were taken to Whitby when the accident happened at 8.20am.
Police say the 47-year-old driver of the bus was taken to James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough with a fractured leg.
The 51-year-old driver of the North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC) gritter was taken to Scarborough Hospital with minor back injuries. Police and ambulance crews attended.
The 70-seater coach was carrying between 40 and 50 schoolchildren, five of whom were taken to Whitby Hospital with very minor injuries.
Caedmon headteacher Tony Hewitt and assistant headteacher Craig Sewell went to the scene to re-assure students.
Mr Sewell told the Gazette: “It was all dealt with by ambulance and police who were there, they did a good job. Five pupils were taken to hospital – four from our school and one from Whitby Community College.”
They were all released the same day, none of them were seriously hurt or injured and were all back at school on Wednesday.
Mr Sewell said he had nothing but praise for the efforts of the emergency services when he arrived at the scene, shortly after 8am, with Mr Hewitt.
He said the school will seek county guidelines should any pupils need counselling.
The gritter driver was driving an Iveco-Ford and the bus was a Coastal and Country 70 seater white Volvo.
A spokeswoman for NYCC said: “Both the gritter and the school bus drivers involved were driving their vehicles with care and at a slow pace.
“This was an unfortunate incident which occurred when the vehicles were travelling in opposite directions on a minor single lane road.
“The conditions were poor and the road was being treated. Because of the care taken by drivers, all parties escaped with minor injuries.
“NYCC has drawn up a critical incident policy with schools to offer support in cases of death or serious injury involving students and staff.
“In other cases, counselling support can be offered in agreement with schools through our educational psychology and educational social work services.”
At the time of going to press, no-one was available to give a comment from Whitby Community College.
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Weather for Whitby
Sunday 05 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 1 C to 6 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: West
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Sunny spells
Temperature: 1 C to 5 C
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