Minibus Heading For Manchester Airport
A minibus carrying 16 holidaymakers, including children, has crashed and overturned on the M60 motorway near Prestwich in Greater Manchester.
One man was seriously injured when he was thrown out as the vehicle landed on its roof. Most of the others, who were all from Bradford, suffered minor injuries.
They had been heading to Manchester Airport when the minibus burst a tyre and spun out of control. The occupants of two other vehicles that were also involved were not injured.
Says fire-service spokesman John Aspinall: "There were six people on spinal boards, and the rest were walking wounded with cuts and bruises and suffering from shock.
"Some of those taken to hospital were children, but they did not suffer serious injuries. The man who flew out of the minibus had serious but not life-threatening injuries."
Copyright © Press Association 2009
Stephen Nye from law firm Irwin Mitchell said: "This clearly a major incident, which will be subject to a detailed police investigation in due course. Early indications seem to suggest the cause was a tyre blow out, which is a particularly dangerous occurrence in a large passenger vehicle such as a coach.
“Many individuals and families will have been affected by this incident and will in due course wish to consider avenues of legal redress. Ultimately, their position will depend on the cause of the accident being confirmed. If it transpires that the vehicle had not been properly maintained or was being driven inappropriately and such factors caused the accident, then there may well be claims to be made against the coach company. "