A bus caused thousands of pounds worth of damage today when it struck Wolverhampton’s Beatties department store in a freak chain of events which has led to a driver being suspended.
Metal and wood was ripped off the building and sent crashing to the pavement as passengers on the double decker Travel West Midlands bus were thrown around.
The drama unfolded around 7.30am when the steering failed on a sandwich van as it tried to turn around in Darlington Street.
A 510 bus from Wolverhampton to Perton broke down as it overtook the van, before the number 525 circular service tried to overtake both vehicles and clipped the store and the other double decker bus.
Darlington Street was sealed off by police and reopened to traffic around 10am.
Travel West Midlands spokesman Phil Bateman said the 525 driver had been suspended while an investigation took place.
Two windows on the 525 were shattered while the side of the vehicle was badly scraped.
Rebbeca Lopez, aged 27, who repairs watches at Rudell’s jewellers in Darlington Street, said: “There was an almighty bang.
“The two bus drivers got off and started arguing.”
One shaken female passenger on the 525, who asked not to be named, said: “It was very frightening and disorientating.
“Passengers including myself were thrown about the bus. I was on the top deck and fortunately everybody was sat down but if they hadn’t been they could have been thrown through the window.”
Beatties was open today as normal. A spokesman said: “It’s caused superficial damage, there’s nothing structural at the moment. It’s a minor inconvenience.”
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