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Couple in shock after bus collides with house (From The Northern Echo)
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Couple in shock after bus collides with house
2:12pm Wednesday 13th January 2010
A COUPLE have spoken of their shock after a bus careered off an icy road and crashed into their home this morning.
Jeff Knight was in bed upstairs and his wife, Cynthia, was having breakfast in a dining room at the back of the house when the accident occurred at around 7.25am.
The Arriva 86 service bus skidded on black ice at the top of a hill and crashed into the front of Mr and Mrs Knight's house at Bankwell, High Etherley, near Bishop Auckland.
Mr Knight, a retired steelworks technician, said: "So savage was the thump I thought the gas boiler had blown up.
"When I got dressed I shot outside and started to digest when had happened.
"I looked inside the bus and could see people being looked after, but I don't think there were any serious injuries."
Mrs Knight, a retired secretary, added: "At first I thought all of the snow had come off the roof, you don't expect a bus to be in the front of your house.
"I peered through the window and at first thought a van was parked next to the house, then I realised a bus was in the front of of our house.
"It was frightening really, but nobody is hurt."
It is understood that only a few passengers were on-board at the time of the accident and nobody was badly hurt, one boy is thought to have sustained minor cuts to his knees.
Police closed the road until around 10am so a recovery vehicle could remove the bus and because the house was structurally unsafe.
The road was gritted to assist the recovery but is still slippy.
The couple, both 68, will now have to wait for building experts to assess the damage to the property they have lived in for 23 years which could be extensive.
Mr Knight said: "From the inside you can hardly see anything, just a cracked window but outside the cracks go all the way up the wall. Hopefully an ornate lamppost on the corner of the house deflected some of the impact.
"We're right in line for any accidents on this bit of road and it is a miracle this is the first time I can remember anything like this happening."
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Your Say YourNorth-East
JS2, Co Durham says...
3:25pm Wed 13 Jan 10
Nick Scott, Durham says...
3:59pm Wed 13 Jan 10
billysaid, aycliffe says...
5:01pm Wed 13 Jan 10
philc, darlington says...
6:02pm Wed 13 Jan 10
gary123, darlington says...
6:12pm Wed 13 Jan 10
Although i thought you would be safe in your own home!!!!
Ooop North, Bishop Auckland says...
7:08pm Wed 13 Jan 10
Nick Scott, Durham says...
7:43pm Wed 13 Jan 10
billysaid, aycliffe says...
10:22pm Wed 13 Jan 10
jayster, Coxhoe says...
11:16pm Wed 13 Jan 10
lovedurham, Durham says...
9:06am Thu 14 Jan 10
Dee Zelastra, North West says...
10:01am Thu 14 Jan 10
stueybish, Shildon says...
10:29am Thu 14 Jan 10
Nick Scott, Durham says...
11:22am Thu 14 Jan 10
jeffknight, Etherley says...
2:23pm Thu 14 Jan 10
gary123, darlington says...
5:06pm Thu 14 Jan 10
Glad your both ok.
Think plenty of other road users have managed to adapt to the conditions and not hit anything or anyone tho.
Any bets before the next one?
Least they can still blame the weather.
billysaid, aycliffe says...
6:43pm Thu 14 Jan 10
billysaid, aycliffe says...
10:45pm Thu 14 Jan 10
billysaid, aycliffe says...
10:53pm Thu 14 Jan 10
stueybish wrote:why should they ?,,,if arriva employed drivers (proper ones ) and they could keep the vehicle in one piece,then the echo would have no cause to print ALL the incidents we are seeing. also we like a good laugh !!.
I think it is about time the Echo moderated these comments a little bit, because every time Arriva is in the news the same prats are on here spouting their bile!
jakemans, darlington says...
1:00pm Fri 15 Jan 10
billysaid, aycliffe says...
3:22pm Fri 15 Jan 10
jakemans wrote:is the words im looking for "practice what you preach". and while im on did you sit one of them unfailable bus driving tests ?,,you know,where the company pays the examiners wages. unbelievable. fact.
what a load of sad sacks you lot are nothing else better to do with your time than to critcise other people's comments ...........get a life ..........if you know what one is
stueybish, Shildon says...
5:57pm Fri 15 Jan 10
billysaid wrote:The examiner is employed by Arriva, the same as Go North East's examiner is employed by Go North East and Stagecoach's examiner is employed by Stagecoach...so what about car drivers that cause death, and HGV drivers....who examines them? Seems to me you are a lonely person making moronic comments on here to your captive audience...."fact"!
i was informed today by a bus driver that when you get a job on for arriva,and you need to be put through your psv licence they train you and then you sit a test !,,,with the examiner employed by arriva !,,he said you cant fail because they need the drivers badly. thats why lots of bad bus drivers out there,cos they sat a dummy test. fact.
billysaid, aycliffe says...
2:50pm Sat 16 Jan 10
stueybish wrote:what i am saying is when i passed my car and hgv tests the examiner was employed by say the driver standard agency,not the company that people work for. you could never fail a test in arriva situation,but you will get monkeys driving the buses as we are seeing now. fact.
billysaid wrote: i was informed today by a bus driver that when you get a job on for arriva,and you need to be put through your psv licence they train you and then you sit a test !,,,with the examiner employed by arriva !,,he said you cant fail because they need the drivers badly. thats why lots of bad bus drivers out there,cos they sat a dummy test. fact.The examiner is employed by Arriva, the same as Go North East's examiner is employed by Go North East and Stagecoach's examiner is employed by Stagecoach...so what about car drivers that cause death, and HGV drivers....who examines them? Seems to me you are a lonely person making moronic comments on here to your captive audience...."fact"!
stueybish, Shildon says...
5:00pm Sat 16 Jan 10
billysaid wrote:Quite obvious there is no getting through to you, I won't waste my time any longer defending my colleagues (who are humans not monkeys as you eloquently put it), I bet if you were face to face with myself or any Arriva staff you wouldn't have to guts to say what you are typing on here. That, is a FACT. And shame on the Echo for allowing people to abuse the right to free speech on here!!
stueybish wrote:what i am saying is when i passed my car and hgv tests the examiner was employed by say the driver standard agency,not the company that people work for. you could never fail a test in arriva situation,but you will get monkeys driving the buses as we are seeing now. fact.billysaid wrote: i was informed today by a bus driver that when you get a job on for arriva,and you need to be put through your psv licence they train you and then you sit a test !,,,with the examiner employed by arriva !,,he said you cant fail because they need the drivers badly. thats why lots of bad bus drivers out there,cos they sat a dummy test. fact.The examiner is employed by Arriva, the same as Go North East's examiner is employed by Go North East and Stagecoach's examiner is employed by Stagecoach...so what about car drivers that cause death, and HGV drivers....who examines them? Seems to me you are a lonely person making moronic comments on here to your captive audience...."fact"!
billysaid, aycliffe says...
5:19pm Sat 16 Jan 10
jim's the lad, bishop auckland says...
12:23pm Sun 17 Jan 10
Ooop North wrote:i wasnt in the area at the time..but i can tell you that these drivers are absalutly terrible i live in a village and the speed down the village bank.. how they have never killed anyone or gone through the church wall i will never know.. and that is weather it is full of school kids or not,, and most of them have awfull attitudes if you dare to say something to them
If you weren't in the area then you can't comment on the speed of the bus - the road in question was one sheet of ice and the bus was travelling at quite slow speed - stupid comments like "too fast for the conditions" are pointless - unless of course you happen to be a qualified traffic officer and were present at the scene! Nick Scott - get out more!!
lovedurham, Durham says...
8:30am Mon 18 Jan 10
lovedurham, Durham says...
8:31am Mon 18 Jan 10
jim's the lad, bishop auckland says...
10:30am Mon 18 Jan 10
lovedurham wrote:lovedurham. whats my spelling and grammer got to do with anything? and no i dont feel it shows me up so why are you so botherd about it? just because im not so good with my words people get the message and im entitled to my opinion just as much as anyone else..,,you must be 1 of these stupid speed racer bus drivers are you eh?
Thanks 'Jim's the lad' for your fasinating insight, your spelling and grasp of grammar really show you up
jim's the lad, bishop auckland says...
10:30am Mon 18 Jan 10
lovedurham wrote:lovedurham. whats my spelling and grammer got to do with anything? and no i dont feel it shows me up so why are you so botherd about it? just because im not so good with my words people get the message and im entitled to my opinion just as much as anyone else..,,you must be 1 of these stupid speed racer bus drivers are you eh?
Thanks 'Jim's the lad' for your fasinating insight, your spelling and grasp of grammar really show you up
billysaid, aycliffe says...
3:48pm Mon 18 Jan 10
*shakes head slowly*, Aycliffe says...
4:48pm Mon 18 Jan 10
The Northern Echo must be really short of contributions to let their predictable dirge remain on the site!
jim's the lad, bishop auckland says...
5:39pm Mon 18 Jan 10
*shakes head slowly* wrote:thank you billy for your support there mate!! they think because they know how to put things they can put everyone down.. well not me i can assure you mate...and as for "shakes her head slowly" i never run stuff down and i see the good in everybody who deserves it.. but not most of these drivers!! like i said earlier i live and a village and these so called " carefull drivers" fly down the bank.. so dont you give me i have no knowledge of anything when they zoom past my house everyday FACT!!!!!!!
You said it, lovedurham - these are folks who only run stuff down all the time, see no good in anything and, despite having no knowledge of any subject beyond what the paper says, are masters of all they survey! The Northern Echo must be really short of contributions to let their predictable dirge remain on the site!
billysaid, aycliffe says...
6:48pm Mon 18 Jan 10
billysaid, aycliffe says...
6:51pm Mon 18 Jan 10
jayster, Coxhoe says...
8:57pm Mon 18 Jan 10
billysaid wrote:We do have secret passengers on board our buses.... We have a contract with the DSA. If he feels that there is any danger he has the power to stop the bus and suspend the driver. Anymore stupid questions....
they should put secret passengers employed by arriva on them buses like they do in shops !. but then again if they did that they would have to sack most of the drivers due to their recklesness !!. fact.
jayster, Coxhoe says...
8:58pm Mon 18 Jan 10
billysaid wrote:We do have secret passengers on board our buses.... We have a contract with the DSA. If he feels that there is any danger he has the power to stop the bus and suspend the driver. Anymore stupid questions....
they should put secret passengers employed by arriva on them buses like they do in shops !. but then again if they did that they would have to sack most of the drivers due to their recklesness !!. fact.
lovedurham, Durham says...
10:50pm Mon 18 Jan 10
billysaid, aycliffe says...
11:52pm Mon 18 Jan 10
jayster wrote:but is he employed by arriva too ?. if so,they know arriva need any monkey they can hold onto to attempt to drive a bus !,,that is a fact.
billysaid wrote: they should put secret passengers employed by arriva on them buses like they do in shops !. but then again if they did that they would have to sack most of the drivers due to their recklesness !!. fact.We do have secret passengers on board our buses.... We have a contract with the DSA. If he feels that there is any danger he has the power to stop the bus and suspend the driver. Anymore stupid questions....
billysaid, aycliffe says...
12:02am Tue 19 Jan 10
lovedurham wrote:as an immigrant to your country,i arr ived here just over 3 years ago !. on arriving to britain i could speak no english. as your language is so easy to learn !,i think i doing very well. i speak your talk now,but you can not speak mine !,so who is less educated ?. i think YOU. FACT.
Jayster, I think its time to stop wasting our time. Keep doing your valuable job, They think I'm a bus driver but am definitely not. I use your services regularly and find the drivers skillful and professional. Unfortunately, this site is an attraction to people with nothing else to do than criticise and comment upon things they know nothing about. The spelling and grammar pays testimony to the fact that some of the contributors come from the 'less-educated' in society hence the narrow minded attitudes. Dont rise to the baiting. And finally Jim, when you start to get support from billyliar, then you are really at the end of the line. Kind regards to anyone doing a difficult job out there
gary123, darlington says...
9:38am Tue 19 Jan 10
Wont be long....
colinburns, darlington says...
5:58pm Tue 19 Jan 10
lovedurham wrote:I see you have come across the resident board buffoons SILLYSAID and NACKSCOTT. The former is simply too ridiculous for words and the latter hero worships him at every opportunity. Both full of crap and both utterly SPINELSS individuals!
Jayster, I think its time to stop wasting our time. Keep doing your valuable job, They think I'm a bus driver but am definitely not. I use your services regularly and find the drivers skillful and professional. Unfortunately, this site is an attraction to people with nothing else to do than criticise and comment upon things they know nothing about. The spelling and grammar pays testimony to the fact that some of the contributors come from the 'less-educated' in society hence the narrow minded attitudes. Dont rise to the baiting. And finally Jim, when you start to get support from billyliar, then you are really at the end of the line. Kind regards to anyone doing a difficult job out there
The scene of the accident this morning Pic: Sarah Caldecott
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billysaid, aycliffe says...
3:14pm Wed 13 Jan 10