| One of the worst crashes on Britain's roads in the 1980s involved a former Black & White coach owned by South Wales Transport, and a lorry carrying 16 tonnes of steel on the M4 motorway near Swindon.
The coach - South Wales' 180 (PDD 108M) - was travelling at 69 mph along the motorway from Heathrow with an overload of passengers from the South Wales Rapides. It had just reached that cruising speed. Travelling in the opposite direction was a wagon which had a remould tyre on the front offside for several days after its driver had a puncture in the Lake District. It was travelling at 64 mph. As the two vehicles approached each other, the lorry was in its middle lane, the coach in its nearside lane. Suddenly the remould blew. The lorry swung across the outside lane, went through the central reservation and ploughed into the side of the coach just behind its driver. Afterwards it was estimated the coach driver had 0.3 seconds to react. Three passengers died. The offside was crushed so violently that the gangway disappeared. These pictures show the coach the following day. |
1 Exterior 640x421 109.882C_358.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
2 The coach 640x421 109.1005C_360.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
3 Exterior 640x421 109.898C_358.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
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4 Exterior 640x421 109.897C_358.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
5 Offside, showing the damage 640x387 109.936C_360.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
6 Offside - the emergency exit area 640x396 109.935C_360.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
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7 Where the lorry carved into the side of the coach 640x421 109.886C_358.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
8 The rear axle is missing 640x421 109.885C_358.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
9 Point of major intrusion by the impacting lorry 316x480 109.937C_360.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
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10 The rear boot and back seat were completely destroyed 315x480 109.891C_35.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
11 The back end, after it lost its rear axle, was clearly shoved a considerable way to the left 557x480 109.887Ca_358.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
12 The back end 316x480 109.887C_358.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
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13 The back end 640x423 109.888C_358.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
14 The body shell was twisted 640x421 109.925C_359.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
15 The rear of the coach 316x480 109.921C_359.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
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16 Rear nearside corner 311x480 109.919C_359.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
17 The rear nearside 316x480 109.889C_358.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
18 Boot compartment destroyed 640x421 109.920C_359.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
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19 The nearside 640x421 109.890C_358.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
20 The initial point of impact 316x480 109.894C_358.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
21 Side members in the Duple Dominant body 640x421 109.1001C_360.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
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22 Side member separated as the window pillar is smashed to one side. 640x421 109.1007C_360.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
23 The underside 640x421 109.892C_35.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
24 Underneath - the front radiator 640x421 109.934C_360.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
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25 Underneath - the front radiator 640x421 109.933C_360.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
26 The emergency exit still hangs open 316x480 109.893C_358.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
27 Body deformation at the emergency exit door hinge area 316x480 109.939C_360.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
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28 Rear of coach 316x480 109.926C_359.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
29 Damage to the emergency door 640x421 109.928C_359.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
30 Emergency door damage 316x480 109.927C_359.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
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31 Emergency exit 640x421 109.930C_360.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
32 Most of the offside body panels were ripped off in the collision. 640x420 109.929C_360.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
40 Chassis side members 640x423 109.918C_359.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
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41 Damage on the offisde, showing how the floor was raised by the impact stresses 316x480 109.917C_359.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
42 Damage suffered by some of the more exposed offside parts on the Leyland Leopard 316x480 109.932C_360.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
43 Damage ahaead of the incoming vehicle 316x480 109.918CA_359.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
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44 How the side members were twisted into the passenger compartment 640x421 109.1008C_360.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
45 Initial impact was just behind the driver 316x480 109.902C_358.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
46 More damage suffered by some of the more exposed offside parts on the Leyland Leopard 640x421 109.931C_360.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
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50 Interior looking to the rear 640x421 109.1003C_360.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
51 Interior - the wreckage at the rear 316x480 109.1006C_360.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
52 Interior looking to the rear 316x480 109.1002C_360.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
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53 The point of initial impact from inside 317x480 109.904C_358.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
54 Seats smashed together by the impact from the offisde collision (right of picture) 640x421 109.896C_358.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
56 Seat held in place by fixtures 316x480 109.895C_358.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
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57 Seat fixings remained intact, though the leg of this seat was twisted by the impact forces 640x427 109.895Ca_358.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
58 The floor was twisted and raised by the power of the collision 640x421 109.909C_359.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
58 The window frames immeidately behind the driver 316x480 109.903C_358.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
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59 John Gwynne, from the Carlyle Works design team, inspects the wreckage. Note the whole in the floor of the Duple Dominant bodywork 316x480 109.906C_358.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
59 Offside seat fixings remained intoact 640x421 109.900C_358.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
60 Main point of intrusion into the passenger compartment 317x480 109.908C_359.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
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70 The missing window frame 640x421 109.905C_358.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
71 Part of a seat frame 316x480 109.907C_359.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
72 Passenger seat at point of major intrusion 640x423 109.899C_358.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
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73 Point of severest damage 640x421 109.901C_358.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
74 Window frame which sliced into the nearside seats 316x480 109.938C_360.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
75 The warping of a window frame caused by thecollision 316x480 109.1004C_360.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
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76 The window frame on the offside was torn off 640x421 61 109.905Ca_358.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
81 There was a substantial tread of the rear tyres 316x480 109.913C_359.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
90 One of the wheels - another view 316x480 109.911C_359.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
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91 One of the wheels 372x480 109.911Ca_359.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
92 Rear axle 640x421 109.883C_358.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
93 The rear axle was found 100 yards from the motorway, in an adjoining field. 640x421 109.884C_358.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
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94 The state of the wheel after it hit the ground 532x480 109.916C_359.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
95 The state of the wheel after it hit the ground - another view 640x421 109.914C_359.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
96 The tyre tore apart as a result of the collision 640x421 109.915C_359.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
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97 The violence of the collision can be judged from the state of the wheel rim after the studs were wrenched off 316x480 109.922C_359.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
98 The violence of the collision can be judged from the state of the wheel rim after the studs were wrenched off - close up 465x480 109.922Cb_359.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
99 The violence of the collision can be judged from the state of the wheel rim after the studs were wrenched off - close up 465x480 109.922Ca_359.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
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100 Two of the wheel studs, sheered off 478x480 109.912Ca_359.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
101 More stud damage on the wheels 316x480 109.912C_359.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
103 More sheered wheel bolts 640x441 109.912Cb_359.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
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110 The tachograph disc was recovered to help the police investigation 557x480 109.910C_359.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
115 South Wales Transport's wrecker prepares to recover the wreckage 640x421 093.025C_360.jpg 1999-11-30 00:00:00 |
