BRIT TEENS IN FIGHT FOR LIFE
Students in coach crash horror
TWO teenagers were last night fighting for their lives after a bus carrying British students crashed in France.
It is thought at least 15 passengers were injured in the motorway smash.
There are fears the driver fell asleep at the wheel.
The coach, which was heading for Italy, crashed into a ditch off the A39 near Lons-le-Saunier close to the Swiss border at 11am, after flipping on to its side.
Some 42 of the 48 passengers on board were said to be students aged 14 to 17 from Bournside School in Cheltenham. They were travelling on a summer trip.
The school yesterday confirmed that two of its students had been airlifted to hospital. One was last night in a “life-threatening” condition. Another remains in a “serious” condition, while a further ten students and a member of staff were injured.
French media said that the bus tipped over and slid 250 metres off the motorway.
Sickening photos from the crash scene showed the vehicle lying on its side with the back window smashed in. Two helicopters were at the scene.
The parents of the two stricken students have rushed to France. The rest of the school group is expected to return home.
On Twitter, a statement from the school read: “We can confirm there has been a serious incident involving the coach taking our students to Dora Baltea.”
On its website it added: “We were deeply saddened to hear of a serious incident involving the coach taking our students to Dora Baltea earlier today. Our hearts go out to all those involved.”
The coach was run by Express Motors in Caernarfon, a family company which has been running services from north Wales since 1909.
Ian Jones from the firm said: “I feel sick and shocked. Nothing like this has happened before.”
He added that the drivers onboard would have been taking turns at the wheel and both were “experienced”.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: “We are providing support to a group of British nationals following a coach crash in France.
“We are in contact with the relevant local authorities.”
According to French police, no other vehicles were involved.
The highway was closed as fire crews and police investigators assessed the scene.