Pensioner seriously injured as bus destroys shelter in Walsall crash
An elderly woman is seriously injured in hospital after a crash involving two buses in Walsall town centre.
The woman, aged in her 90s, was one of five people treated by paramedics after a bus shelter was destroyed in the crash in Bradford Place at around 1pm on Tuesday.
She was given advanced trauma care by paramedics and then taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham on blue lights.
One other female pedestrian was checked by medics along with one of the bus drivers and two passengers, all men, who were discharged at the scene.
The 40E Blue Diamond service appeared to have smashed head-on into the shelter and was left in between the pavement and the 36 National Express bus. The shelter is next to the British Heart Foundation Shop and the Cenotaph in a busy area of the town centre.
Photos from the scene showed how the front windscreen of the Blue Diamond bus was smashed, as were the windows of the bus shelter which had almost fully collapsed.
Members of the public helped hold the shelter up and the road was closed as paramedics, police officers and firefighters dealt with the incident.
Another elderly woman was seen being helped by police officers and firefighters next to the single-decker buses, while members of West Midlands Fire Service's technical rescue unit helped stabilise the bus shelter.
Police said the area would remain cordoned off as they began their investigation.
Bob Baker, managing director at Diamond Buses, confirmed the company would also be carrying out an investigation and said his staff were helping police with their inquiries.
A West Midlands Police spokesman said: "A woman in her 90s has been taken to hospital in a serious condition. The area is cordoned off while we investigate.
"We’re wishing the woman well and we’d like to thank everyone who looked after her and helped until emergency services took over.
"If can help us to understand what happened, contact us via live chat on our website west-midlands.police.uk quoting 1911-100821."
Three fire engines were sent to the crash along with the technical rescue team.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokeswoman added: “On arrival, crews found a bus which had collided with a bus shelter.
"One woman, who was inside the bus shelter at the time of the collision, was seriously injured and received advanced trauma care at the scene by ambulance staff before being conveyed on blue lights to Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham for further treatment.
"A second pedestrian, a woman, was assessed for minor injuries and discharged at the scene with self care advice.
"A further three patients, the bus driver and two passengers, were assessed by ambulance staff and discharged at the scene."
