‘Lethal’ fog and ice warning across UK after coach overturns on M40 leaving more than a dozen passengers injured and causing delays
AA warn drivers of "worst possible conditions" as fog and ice create potentially lethal hazard
DRIVERS have been warned that fog and ice have created "lethal" road conditions after a coach overturned on the M40 this morning injuring more than a dozen people.
The Oxford Bus Company coach, returning to the city from Heathrow Airport, flipped at about 2.45am today, sparking emergency services to declare a major incident as 17 were rushed to hospital.
The accident at Junction 7 of the motorway in Oxfordshire was just a few miles from where a 20 car pile-up claimed a woman's life on Wednesday morning.
South Central Ambulance Service said: "The male coach driver and 16 adult passengers had sustained a variety of minor injuries, such as cuts, bruises, broken bones, etc, and all 17 patients were taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford."
Thick fog covered the road at the time of the crash, which slowed rescue efforts.
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All lanes of the northbound stretch of the motorway remained closed this morning, with police warning the accident could take several hours to clear and asking drivers to avoid the area.
A passenger caught up in the coach crash on the M40 revealed the bleeding driver courageously refused to leave the vehicle until everyone else had escaped.
Oxford University student Ali White, 20, said: "When the first responders arrived we were told to clamber out but because of the angle the bus was lying at we were practically having to stand on other people who were still stuck in their seats.
"We were walking over the overhead lockers and the coach was just a mess.
"When we got to the top, the bus driver was there and was bleeding pretty badly but he was helping people get out and didn't get out himself until everyone else had.
"He held me as I got off the bus and then what had happened really set in.
"People who had been on the bus, complete strangers, were just crying and hugging each other.
"It could have been so, so much worse."
Phil Southall, managing director of Oxford Bus Company, said: "We are thankful that there were no serious injuries, and we have been advised that injuries incurred were a spinal injury, a broken collarbone, minor head injuries and cuts and bruises.
"Our thoughts are with those who have been injured, particularly at this time of year.
"Company representatives have spoken with all those involved and are continuing to assist the emergency services with their investigations. The driver of the coach was also taken to hospital.
"The driver of the coach is 54 years old, very experienced, and has worked for the company for 20 years. He has been working overnight shifts for a number of years."
Police were also called to Birmingham Road, Coventry, this morning where a bus and a van collided before the van left the road and ended up upside down in a ditch.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman told the : "There was a collision between a van and a bus prior to the van leaving the road.
"The van driver was treated for minor injuries and taken to University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire."
Renewed weather warnings have been issued to drivers this morning as fog and ice continue to create dangerous conditions.
Yesterday a multi-car pile-up on the M6 caused long delays.
The Met Office has renewed warnings across the south and east of the country saying "freezing fog" could see poor visibility could persist into Friday afternoon.
This morning, Met meteorologist Emma Sillitoe said: "The main thing we have had is large, dense freezing fog patches.
"People driving around in the morning should take care on the roads."
Forecasters have warned that visibility could be as low as 100 metres and ice could develop on the roads, creating potentially treacherous conditions.
The fog is set to lift and thin slowly and could linger into the late morning or early afternoon, particularly in the South East and East Anglia, the Met Office said.
On Thursday, temperatures dipped to freezing levels in areas including Suffolk, Gloucestershire, Cumbria, Devon and northern Scotland.
The AA urged "extreme caution" for those heading out on the roads, adding that extra time should be allowed, tyres properly inflated and screens adequately de-iced.
Spokesman Ian Crowder said on Thursday: "We have got the worst possible conditions really, of fog and icy roads, and that can be lethal.
"I think the message is extreme caution and to prepare for the worst and make sure all windows are clear."
Flights were held up at Heathrow and London City airports on Thursday because of poor visibility while Luton faced disruption after a technical issue in relation to air traffic control.
The chilly conditions have also sparked health concerns for the elderly as temperatures plummet below freezing.
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