Bus Collides with Aqueduct in Greater Manchester: Witness Appeal

Police in Greater Manchester are appealing for witnesses after the roof was ripped from a double-decker bus when it collided with a low-level aqueduct. The incident occurred around 3pm on Monday when the number 100 Bee Network bus hit the Bridgewater canal aqueduct on Barton Lane in Eccles. It is believed that the bus deviated from its route, with the driver failing to heed height restriction warnings. The collision resulted in the top level of the bus being torn off, ejecting a member of the public from the upper deck. Three individuals, including a 19-year-old woman and two men in their 20s and 40s, sustained serious injuries and are hospitalized in stable condition. Seventeen others were treated at the scene for non-life-threatening injuries. The bus driver, a man in his 50s, was arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by careless driving and has been released on bail pending further investigations.

Police are urging witnesses to come forward and requesting the public to provide any footage, such as dashcam or mobile phone recordings, from the moments leading up to the collision. Transport for Greater Manchester stated that their primary focus has been on assisting emergency services in their response. Vernon Everitt, the transport commissioner for Greater Manchester, mentioned that an immediate investigation is ongoing in collaboration with Greater Manchester police and the bus operator, Stagecoach. He expressed gratitude to the emergency services for their prompt action, acknowledging the distressing nature of the situation.