Nine children and a school coach driver sustained minor injuries in a collision involving a bus and a school coach on the A3290 slip road leading to the Sutton Seeds Roundabout in Earley, Berkshire. Eight adults on the bus were also injured. The Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service responded to a vehicle fire on the slip road where the bus was found with its engine ablaze.
Meanwhile, Kent Police reported a separate school bus crash at Chilmington Green in Ashford, where no injuries were reported. Stagecoach confirmed an incident involving one of its school buses and stated that they are cooperating with authorities to review the circumstances.
The South Central Ambulance Service transported two individuals to the Royal Berkshire Hospital for treatment, while 16 others were discharged at the scene. Road conditions were reported as very icy.
In a related incident in Kent, a bus carrying school children skidded off the road due to black ice and ended up in a ditch. Emergency services responded, and no injuries were reported. The AA and RAC reported road closures and slow traffic due to the accidents.
Thames Valley Police closed the A3290 following the collision. The Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service extinguished the bus fire and provided emergency care before handing over the injured to the ambulance service. Police and emergency services advised avoiding the area.
SCAS mentioned that one child and one adult may require hospitalization, while another two-car collision on the same slip road resulted in no injuries. The incident occurred at 08:25 am, prompting a swift response from emergency services.