Bus driver charged after six passengers injured in Burtonwood crash

The charge comes eight months on from the incident, which occurred in Burtonwood in December last year. At 5.22am on Wednesday, December 18, 2024, Cheshire Police responded to reports of a road traffic collision on Lockheed Road, outside of the Evri depot. Attending the scene, officers found that a crash had occurred between an HGV and an Omega double-decker bus.

In a statement issued at the time, the force said that six passengers, who were on the bus at the time of the collision, sustained injuries and were taken to hospital. This included a 73-year-old man, who reportedly sustained serious injuries to his leg, which were believed at the time to be life-changing. The driver of the bus was arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by careless or inconsiderate driving, and now, a man has been charged in connection with the crash.

A large emergency service presence at the scene of the crash. Picture: Pete Carroll Barry Stonehouse, of Fairfield Street in Fairfield, has been charged with causing serious injury by careless or inconsiderate driving.

The particulars of the charge allege that the 73-year-old did so on December 18, 2024, on Lockhead Road, when driving a double-decker bus. The driver of the HGV was uninjured in the crash, with Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service crews assisting to rescue a trapped casualty from the bus. Paramedics were also present at the scene to provide emergency medical assistance to injured passengers.

Cheshire Police officers closed the road, and the force later appealed for anyone with any information regarding the crash to come forward.

Heavy traffic was reported in the area following the crash, with queues stretching back to junction eight of the M62.