‘I saw it getting closer and closer’: Passenger recalls moment bus hit Dudley chip shop

Debbie Clarke was travelling on a double-decker bus heading onto Fisher Street from Dudley Bus Station at around 6am when she felt the bus begin to move out wide.

She said: "I got on the bus as normal and we were going around the corner when I saw the bus begin to go out a little bit wide, almost like it was trying to avoid something on the street.

"I then saw the chip shop getting closer and closer and then felt the impact as the bus hit the wall, as well as smelling gas straight away.

"Myself and another passenger helped to get the driver out of his little cubicle and off the bus and he was a little delusional and shocked as you could imagine.

"We got him out of the way and someone called the emergency services."

The crash damaged the frontage of Sofi's Plaice, with the windows and front door smashed. A gas main was also ruptured, leading to the evacuation of people from properties around the shop as a precaution.

Crews from West Midlands Police, Ambulance and Fire Service were sent to the scene, with the area around the shop cordoned off while a gas engineer worked to cap the gas main.

The bus was towed away around 10.30am, although Fisher Street remained closed in both directions for the rest of the morning, with traffic and buses diverted on other routes.

A West Midlands Fire Service spokesman said: "Just before 6am this morning we received multiple 999 calls after a double decker bus was in collision with a two-storey building in Castle Street, Dudley.

Four fire engines responded, including a crew from our Technical Rescue Unit to help stabilise the scene. A gas main was ruptured, but this has since been capped by a gas engineer.

"Crews worked safely and effectively to evacuate the bus. Three passengers were treated by our firefighters and West Midlands Ambulance Service for what are believed to have been minor injuries.

"Whilst we believe everyone in the building has been accounted for, our search of the premises continues."

Ms Clarke, 45, who works as a care assistant at Linden Hall in West Bromwich, said she had a bit of pain in her knee and ankle and was one of four people checked by ambulance crews at the scene.

She said the accident was something that she had seen coming due to the amount of rain that had fallen.

She said: "It's no fault of the driver, but I know what the roads around here are like when its's wet as the roads are very slippery to walk on, let along drive on.

"The driver is very shaken up, but he was well taken care of by the ambulance crews and I think they did everything they could to make sure everyone was fine, particularly the people who live above the chip shop."

The owner of Sofi’s Plaice, Sofi Hickinbottom, said she was very shocked at what had happened and had only found out as she was walking down to open up the shop.

She said: "I was walking down when I was stopped by people who told me that the bus had crashed into the shop.

"I'm just in shock at the moment as I don't know what to do. I've been here for 33 years and this is the first time anything like this has happened to me.

"I have to thank the emergency services as they were really good and they're working with me now to make sure the shop is safe."

A West Midlands Ambulance spokesman said: "We were called at 6.23am to reports of a double decker bus that had collided with a building on Castle Street, Dudley.

"One ambulance, two paramedic officers and the Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) attended the scene.

"On arrival, we assessed four patients, two women and two men. All four had sustained injuries considered to be minor, they were all given self care advice and discharged on scene."

A National Express West Midlands spokesperson said: "National Express West Midlands is cooperating closely with the authorities in their investigations into this incident.

"Several bus services are currently on diversion. We advise customers to check our social media channels for the latest updates and we apologise for any delay to their journeys."

Motorists also spoke about the disruption caused by the road closures.

Darren Bytheway told the Express & Star: "The traffic is horrendous because of the bus crash, it is a no go zone for a while, I turned back, both sides of Fisher Street is closed."

Aaron Freeman said taxi firms were fully booked in the hours after the crash, and said friends were “struggling to commute to work with some even being told to take the day off due to the circumstances of public transport being disrupted in this way”.