Ice played big factor in fatal bus accident

Aschool bus driver was killed after a car skidded on ice and hit his vehicle, a court has ruled. Ian Fordyce suffered fatal injuries after his bus carrying 13 Lathallan School pupils was hit by an Audi near Maryculter Bridge in December 2017.

No children suffered any serious injuries in the incident on the B9077 South Deeside Road

At a fatal accident inquiry, Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard Mr Fordyce

– who had driven buses for 40 years – was not wearing a seatbelt.

However, Sheriff Andrew Miller said that while it was “good practice” to wear a seatbelt it was unlikely it would have saved the 68-year-old.

He also said Aberdeenshire Council was not to blame for the condition of the icy road.

The court heard James Craddock tried to stop but failed to give way at a junction in his Audi A7 as ice made braking difficult.

This caused the collision between his car, the school bus and a lorry.

Mr Fordyce suffered a ruptured artery and fractures of the pelvis, spine, ribs and both legs.

Sheriff Miller said: “In my judgment, the dominant cause of this fatal collision was simply the presence of ice on the untreated surface of the unclassified road on its approach to the junction with the B9077, to an extent which Mr Craddock had not anticipated, as a result of which Mr Craddock was

unable to bring his vehicle to a stop at the junction, despite driving in an appropriate manner and despite his efforts to bring his vehicle to a stop prior to the junction.”

Sheriff Miller also said he did not believe Aberdeenshire Council was to blame for the ice.

He added: “I can identify no defects in the system of

working followed by the council which may have contributed to this collision and no further precautions which the council might reasonably have taken with regard to the treatment of the roads which might realistically have avoided the collision.”

The inquiry made no formal recommendations.

Following his death, Mr

Fordyce’s family paid tribute to him in a statement, saying: “Ian, affectionately known as ‘Fingers’ to most of his friends, was very well known and popular with everyone he met.”

A school spokesperson said: “He was a larger than life character who was extremely popular with our pupils.”

FATAL: The scene of the crash which resulted in the death of bus driver Ian Fordyce.