Pensioners 'lucky to be alive'

Vera Donnelly and Alice Lusher "cheated death" in the crash, suffering only minor cuts and bruises.

They were among 51 passengers injured when their coach careered off a busy Yorkshire road.

The coach, packed with elderly holidaymakers returning from a five-day trip to Scarborough, clipped the side of a broken-down truck, before it careered across a carriageway and ended up in a field off the A64 near York Racecourse.

Six passengers were still detained in York District Hospital earlier today with spine, chest and head injuries. Police traffic experts are still investigating the cause of the accident.

Two other pensioners, from Horwich, who escaped unhurt were too shaken to speak about their ordeal last night.

But one of the survivors, 73-year-old Vera of Wesley Close, Wingates, said: "It was very frightening. We were just sitting in the coach and the next thing we knew it was rocking from side to side and I was on the floor.

"I thought the coach was going to roll over but somehow it stayed upright."

She added: "There were lots of people screaming and no one knew what was going on. We had to be cut out of the coach by firemen because the doors had jammed, but we were just shocked and shaken up and not badly hurt."

And Alice, aged 78, of Church Street, added: "We are okay and all we wanted to do after the incident is go home. If anyone asks me to go to Scarborough by coach again next year I will definitely tell them no way!"

Eyewitnesses said the lorry involved in the accident was "smashed in half".

And passing lorry driver John Johnson, aged 51, from Selby, North Yorkshire, said: "It must have been luck rather than good driving to keep it on its wheels. I'm just amazed that it didn't go on to its side. If it had done, then who knows how bad the injuries would have been."

The Bolton pensioners were among elderly holidaymakers from across the North-west, including Lowton, Eccles, Prestwich, Chorley, Preston and Rochdale, travelling on the coach. Three rescue helicopters and 10 ambulances were needed to transport the injured to hospitals in York, Leeds, Pontefract, Harrogate and Wakefield.

Seven people were seriously injured in the crash, including a 70-year-old woman, believed to be from Burnley, who was airlifted from the scene to hospital in Leeds with head and spinal injuries.

Accident and Emergency consultant at York District Hospital Mike Williams -- who was flown to the scene and also worked during the Selby train disaster in February -- co-ordinated the major incident plans which went into operation at 11am yesterday.

He said: "The casualties were mostly elderly people but there were some younger people too. None of the people have life threatening injuries. It was an incredibly lucky escape."

He said: "If that coach had hit anything else or overturned, we would have had a very different situation on our hands."

The pensioners set off on their five-day trip, organised by Chorley-based Alfa Travel, on Monday. The coach was returning back to Manchester when the accident happened on the west-bound carriageway of the A64.

It is thought the coach smashed into the rear driver's side of the lorry causing the driver to lose control.

Police were yesterday examining both the coach and the truck.

The road, adjoining the racecourse, was closed east-bound for several hours and diversions installed as emergency services worked at the scene.

Insp Paul Bilton of North Yorkshire Police, who is leading the crash investigation, said: "We have been really fortunate that the vehicle remained upright, otherwise the casualty count would have been much higher."

The coach is owned by Burnley-based Viscount Central, operating on behalf of Alfa Travel in Leyland, Chorley.

Spokesman for Alfa Travel Simon Posner said: "We would like to express our sympathy for everyone involved in the accident.

"We have senior representatives from the travel company at each of the hospitals.

"It is unclear what happened at this stage. The police and vehicle inspectorate are investigating and the travel company will also be carrying out its own investigation."