Driver critical as fire engine and buses crash

A bus driver is in a critical condition after a "major collision" between a fire engine and two guided buses.

It happened on the B1050 Station Road at the junction with the Busway in Northstowe, near Cambridge, shortly after 14:00 BST on Wednesday.

The 44-year-old woman, from Gedney Hill near Spalding, Lincolnshire, received serious injuries and remained in hospital, Cambridgeshire Police said.

Ten other people taken to hospital had minor injuries, the force added.

A fire engine had been responding to an incident travelling north when it crashed with a single-decker Stagecoach bus travelling towards St Ives.

A similar bus travelling in the opposite direction was also involved.

Eleven people were taken to Cambridge's Addenbrooke's Hospital, including the driver of the second bus.

Det Insp Garry Webb said no arrests had been made.

"This was a major collision which has seen numerous people left injured," he said.

"I would like to hear from anyone who has yet to speak to officers about the collision."

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service said three firefighters were on board the engine.

Two received minor injuries and one of them was taken to hospital for a precautionary check, but has since been released.

The road and Busway have since reopened.

An East of England Ambulance Service spokesman said four ambulances, three Hazardous Area Response Team vehicles, two paramedic cars and helicopters from the East Anglian Air Ambulance and Magpas were sent.

The fire service said other crews came to the scene and worked with ambulance colleagues to release a casualty.

Cambridgeshire County Council said it was working with the emergency services and the bus operator.

The Busway tracks have raised concrete sides, which can only be used by modified vehicles, although they have junctions with normal roads.

Ian Missen saw the aftermath of the crash and said it was "pretty horrendous".

"There was two buses and a fire engine and it looked like the fire engine had hit one bus which pushed that bus into another bus," he said.

"The traffic lights at the Northstowe guided bus – they are so quick in changing from the road to the guided bus that I'm surprised there hasn't been more crashes there.

"It was on the B1050 between Northstowe and Willingham... closer to Northstowe than Willingham."

At a crown court hearing earlier on Wednesday, the council was fined £6m after three deaths on The Busway, which offers three routes in Cambridge with links to Huntingdon and St Ives.

Judge Mark Bishop criticised the authority for its "rigid and blinkered response" to the fatalities, as well as numerous near-misses and accidents.

The authority had previously admitted two safety breaches and said it was "truly sorry".

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