Police confirm man died at scene of Cleddau Bridge crash and 24 bus passengers were taken to hospital
Police have confirmed that a man died at the scene of the major incident which was declared in Pembrokeshire on Tuesday after a car was in collision with a bus near Cleddau Bridge. The crash happened at around 2.15pm on the A477 on the northern end of the bridge which connects Pembroke Dock with other parts of Pembrokeshire[1], including Milford Haven and Haverfordwest.
The driver of the car involved in the crash died at the scene. His next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers. The driver of the coach sustained serious injuries and was taken to hospital where he remains in a serious condition. The bus involved in the fatal crash was operated by Titterington Holidays, a holiday and coach trip firm based in Penrith in Cumbria. There were 24 passengers on board and all were taken to hospital and have since been discharged. Titterington Holidays has been asked to comment on the incident.
A huge emergency services response was sent to the scene of the crash and many emergency workers remained in attendance throughout most of Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning. Police officers, several fire crews from west Wales, paramedics and the Wales Air Ambulance were all in attendance. The road was closed following the crash and partially re-opened on Tuesday evening, but did not reopen fully until around 4.30am on Wednesday. You can get the latest WalesOnline newsletters e-mailed to you directly for free by signing up here[3].[2]
Local politicians have spoken of their shock regarding the incident and have paid tribute to those affected. Samuel Kurtz, MS for Carmarthen[5] West and South Pembrokeshire, said: “What happened yesterday was a huge shock. That stretch of road is incredibly popular, and the people of Pembrokeshire know that road and that bridge very well, and a tragedy like this will affect everyone. People will have woken up this morning feeling a bit numb. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families affected. It’s tragic. Somebody left their house yesterday and didn’t come home.
“I also want to thank the emergency services as well for their response to the incident. We are very fortunate to have amazing emergency services here in Pembrokeshire and indeed across Wales as a whole.”
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Stephen Crabb, MP for Preseli Pembrokeshire, whose constituency covers the area of the county north of Cleddau Bridge, also thanked the emergency services for their efforts and highlighted the importance of the A&E department in Pembrokeshire which is located in Haverfordwest. “My thoughts go to all those injured in this tragic accident and their families, in particular the family who have sadly lost a loved one,” said Mr Crabb.
“I commend the efforts of all the emergency service personnel who responded to the incident and provided urgent support to those involved. Clearly there will be a thorough investigation by the authorities to establish the circumstances surrounding this fateful accident. This is a stark reminder of the need to keep vital accident and emergency services at Withybush Hospital in Pembrokeshire so that people in need can receive treatment within the all-important golden hour.”
Firefighters at the scene on Tuesday afternoon (Image: Martin Cavaney)
Police closed the road for several hours (Image: Martin Cavaney)
Hywel Dda University Health Board issued an appeal on Tuesday afternoon asking people to only attend Withybush Hospital if they had a life-threatening illness or serious injury, as its resources were stretched due to the number of injured bus passengers who were taken there to be treated or checked on.
Dr Ardiana Gjini, the health board’s director of public health, said on Wednesday: “We were saddened to hear of the death of an individual following the road traffic incident near the Cleddau Bridge yesterday. Our thoughts are with their family and with the people injured or affected by the incident. We would like to thank our staff and our partners for their hard work in supporting the injured in a challenging situation, and the public for their ongoing support.”
Dyfed-Powys Police is appealing for witnesses to the fatal crash to come forward as it continues its investigation into the incident. A spokeswoman for the force said: “Anyone who witnessed the incident or anyone with information that could help officers with their investigation is asked to report it to Dyfed-Powys Police, either online[9], by e-mailing [email protected], or by calling 101, quoting reference: DP-20230905-217.”
References
- ^ Pembrokeshire (www.walesonline.co.uk)
- ^ A huge emergency services response was sent to the scene of the crash (www.walesonline.co.uk)
- ^ e-mailed to you directly for free by signing up here (www.walesonline.co.uk)
- ^ Person jumps from first floor window to escape flat fire (www.walesonline.co.uk)
- ^ Carmarthen (www.walesonline.co.uk)
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- ^ Privacy Notice here. (www.reachplc.com)
- ^ Join our WhatsApp community here. (chat.whatsapp.com)
- ^ online (bit.ly)