MIRACULOUS SURVIVAL AS BUS FALLS ON WOMAN (20)
LANDING IN DRAIN SAVED PASSENGER THROWN THROUGH BUS WINDOW AFTER COLLISION WITH VAN
A YOUNG woman has survived after being flung through a bus window into a ditch drain which the bus crashed down on top of.
Gemma O’Gorman, 20, from Clongeen had just left the village on the 20-seater Local Link bus five minutes earlier, along with three other passengers.
A blue van and the bus collided, resulting in the bus crashing into a ditch at Ballymore Cross, Foulksmills, around a mile from Clongeen.
Ann Colfer, a neighbour of Gemma’s, was on the bus. She recalled the moment the vehicles collided: ‘I just saw a blue van come down the road. The next thing I heard a bang.’
Ann, 63, suffered a cracked rib in the accident, which occurred at 8 a.m. on a busy, straight stretch of road.
Emergency services were alerted and the station officer at New Ross Fire Service Cyril McGarr took the decisive step of calling for the special road traffic incident emergency vehicle from Wexford – which was the first emergency vehicle to arrive. Two units of New Ross Fire Brigade attended the scene shortly afterwards, along with a fire tender from Wexford.
Ann described a chaotic scene. She said once the vehicle came to a stop on its side, the bus driver asked if she was OK. ‘He had (whiplash) and cuts and bruises. I felt dizzy. Thankfully the ambulance arrived there very quickly.’
Fearing for Gemma, Ann said she was taken by a paramedic from the bus prior to being collected by her niece, who took her to Wexford General Hospital.
‘It was awful to think it could happen (to Gemma). I am from the same housing estate as her in Clongeen. I thought she was really bad. It’s a miracle. If you had seen the bus, you wouldn’t believe anyone could get out (from under) that bus. It’s amazing!’
Senior Assistant Chief Fire Officer Ray Murphy said there were five people on the bus, ranging in ages from a teenager up to the lady in her sixties.
He said upon arrival the bus was on its side in the ditch. He said a female passenger (Gemma) was thrown through the bus window upon impact. She landed in a 1ft hole in a ditch, which was around 3ft wide.
The bus crashed down on top of where Gemma lay, but did not strike her landing inches from her head. ‘There were five walking wounded who emerged from the bus. You’re talking about an eight to ten ton bus. There happened to be a little drain in the ditch, a hole where her body could fit. They were very lucky. It was a major incident.’
The 18-strong fire brigade crew used air-bags and spreaders, along with chains and blocks, to lift the bus incrementally inch by inch from Gemma’s head in a delicate, intricate rescue operation, ensuring they didn’t destabilize the bus. ‘If you moved it too far it could have caused damage. The men kept inching it incrementally, lifting it up and up carefully.’
Once the bus was a safe distance from Gemma. the firemen pulled her through the window, having cut out the seat the girl had occupied to make enough room to pull the young woman through the window.
Once they pulled Gemma from the wreckage she was assessed by waiting paramedics from Wexford General Hospital. Mr Murphy said lifting the bus back onto its wheels would have been too unpredictable and could have had disastrous consequences, praising the fire crew for the skilful way they handled the situation during the 30-minute rescue.
Gemma was rushed by ambulance to University Hospital Waterford where she was assessed prior to being released home that night.
The driver of the van (aged 35) suffered facial, hand and other defensive injuries. The bus driver (56) and the three other passengers were also injured and were taken to Wexford General Hospital for treatment.
Along with the 18 firemen, a council roads engineer, roads overseer, a road safety officer, Gardai and several ambulance staff attended the scene.
Once the casualties were safely removed to hospital, the bus and van were removed by a recovery truck and the road was cleaned by the fire crew who remained at Ballymore Cross until around 11.40 a.m.
Sergeant Eddie Wilde said a full Garda investigation into the accident is under way.