M5 coach crash: 'It's a miracle no-one was seriously injured'

The 25 youngsters and accompanying adults escaped serious injury in the smash on the M5. Police said 53 passengers were on board when the accident happened.

Seven people – one child and six adults, including the driver – suffered minor injuries during the incident, which happened when their coach left the carriageway near junction 13 and ploughed into a ditch near Stroud, Gloucestershire.

The vehicle, from Lye-based Prospect Coaches, was taking adults and children from Bright Futures Children's Centre in West Bromwich for a day-out at the seaside in Weston-super-Mare.

It was one of four Prospect Coaches – two from West Bromwich and two from Dudley – taking members of the Action For Children charity to the Somerset resort.

The accident happened shortly after 10am yesterday morning.

The seven casualties were described as 'walking wounded', with the driver of the coach suffering a back injury. The child was taken to Bristol Children's Hospital while the adults were transported to Southmead Hospital.

A rest centre was set up near the scene before another coach firm brought the passengers back to West Bromwich.

Frank Sproson, from Gower Street, Wolverhampton, was on the coach with his six-year-old daughter Scarlet when the crash happened.

Arriving back in West Bromwich, the 51-year-old said: "Most people were dozing or sleeping when it happened.

"My only recollection is that there was a loud bang which shook me from my sleep.

"It's a miracle that no-one was seriously injured. Because I was on the right inner aisle seat, I was dangling above people and I couldn't release myself because I would have fallen on them.

"When we got on the coach this morning, we went through all the checks to travel down and the driver said we should belt up.

"I think had we not all got our seat belts on there probably would have been a lot of serious injuries."

Mr Sproson added: "I would very much like to thank the passers-by that stopped and the lorry drivers that came to the rescue."

Christopher Nice, a spokesman for the Confederation of Passenger Transport, said: "There was a mixture of children and adults on a seaside day-trip. They left at around 8.30am and the coach involved in the crash had left West Bromwich, from Bright Futures Children's Centre on Huntingdon Road.

"The 57-seater coached crashed on the M5 near to Michael Wood Services."

No one from Prospect Coaches was available for comment.

A Gloucestershire Police spokesman said: "We were notified shortly before 10am that a coach had left the southbound M5 motorway close to junction 13, had overturned and landed in a ditch. Fifty-four people believed to be of various ages were on board including the driver.

"Seven people have received minor injuries, not believed to be life-threatening or life changing, and the driver has a suspected back injury, but is conscious."

Ben Middleton, a spokesman for the South West Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust said: "We were notified at 9.58am that a coach had left the carriageway. It was the only vehicle involved in the incident."

A rest centre, which provided refreshments, milk and nappies to those involved in the incident was set up near the scene by Stroud District Council wardens.

The Highways Agency closed the southbound carriageway between junctions 13 and 14, but the motorway was partially re-opened just after 3pm.

A coach from a Bristol firm carrying those involved in the crash arrived back at Bright Futures at around 3.15pm. Some families remained inside the children's centre for some time, as several taxis came and went to take them all home.