2008 Poole Harbour bus accident

The 2008 Poole Harbour bus accident is a bus crash that occured on July 31 2008 in Poole in Dorset on the south coast of England. The crash involved a Wilts and Dorset open-top bus and two cars. There have not been any fatalities reported but some of pasengers of the vehicles suffered minor injuries.

Crash details
The accident occured on the stretch between Studland and Sandbanks beach, home to people such as football manager Harry Redknapp. An open top bus, popular with tourists wanting to peer over the gates to celebrities' mansions, was carrying around 30 people (15 on the upper deck and a similar number downstairs downstairs) near the chain ferry at Poole Harbour. At 10.15am the bus was involved in a collision with both a Volkswagen Golf and a Porsche, the latter of which was driving away from the chain ferry on Ferry Road and crashed head on with the bus, a Wilts and Dorset #50, and the other car. A spokesman for Dorset Fire and Rescue service said at the scene that the bus "fell onto a verge" following the collision with the Porsche.

Casualties
In total, thirty people were injured in the accident. Dorset Fire and Rescue Service were quickly on the scene to assess the casulaties. The 15 passengers from the top-deck were all thrown off onto soft ground in a ditch, including a two-month old baby. Six people were taken to Poole Hospital, including the baby and a 61-year old woman. Two adults and two children from the Volkswagen were also injured. None of the injuries were thought to be life threatening, the worst being a broken arm. Eight people were airlifted to Dorchester Hospital as a precaution but have since been allowed home. By 6pm everyone had been released from hospital.

Aftermath
The 43-year old driver of the Porsche was arrested on the scene, accused of dangerous driving. Around twenty other passengers were checked at a nearby hospital before returning to Swanage by mini-bus or replacement bus.

Studland Ferry was closed to non-emergency vehicles, and the B3351 Corfe Castle to Studland road and the Studland to Swanage road from Ulwell were also closed for the rest of the day.

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