School bus driver ‘injured 12 children when he slammed on the brakes because they kept pressing the stop bell’, court hears
- Roger Wells, 63, was accused of slamming on the brakes and injuring pupils
- The double-decker bus was over capacity with 98 children traveling on board
- Wells allegedly hit the brakes after pupils kept ringing the stop bell
- He denied driving without due care and attention and the trial continues
A school bus driver sent 98 children flying forward after he slammed on the brakes, a judge heard yesterday.
Roger Wells, 63, was accused of reacting with anger when pupils of a school in Wadhurst, East Sussex, kept pressing the stop bell.
Twelve children were injured and one boy fell with such force he cracked the upstairs windscreen.
Wells allegedly started swearing at the children as he drove them home in an overloaded double-decker – which had a capacity of 84, reported The Sun.
Roger Wells (pictured), 63, was accused of reacting with anger when pupils of a school in Wadhurst, East Sussex, kept pressing the stop bell
A pole on the lower deck of the bus was completely ripped out, hitting a 14-year-old boy, and another victim told the court the bus stopped so quickly they thought they would fly through the windscreen if they let go of a pole.
Pupils said Wells shouted ‘f***ing stop ringing that bell’, drove ‘faster than usual’ and slammed on the brakes while driving through Wallcrouch.
Wells was suspended by Hams Travel but denies driving without due care and attention. He also denied a second charge of failing to stop at the scene of an accident
He then stepped over fallen children to replace the broken pole before returning to Uplands Community College, jurors were told.
Wells was suspended by Hams Travel but denies driving without due care and attention. He also denied a second charge of failing to stop at the scene of an accident.
The Lewes crown court trial continues.