Fortunately, the children were quickly evacuated from the bus, and police confirmed that none of them appeared to be injured. The driver of the bus, however, was taken to the hospital as a precaution. Eyewitness Laurence Manning, who was one of the first to respond, described hearing the children’s screams and rushing to help. He pulled each child from the bus one by one before tending to the driver, who was still trapped in the cab.
“We pulled each school kid out one by one, and then we tended to the driver who was still in the cab,” Manning said. He also mentioned that he could hear unsettling sounds from the bus, such as “creaks and cracks,” as it was sinking further into the ditch. “We had to check the bus several times, it was quite scary. But when there are kids involved, you just have to get them to safety,” Manning added. He expressed relief that the children had only sustained minor injuries.
Neighbor Katie-Leigh Julian, who helped care for the children after they were rescued, shared her emotional response. “The experience was not nice at all when it comes down to anyone, but when it’s children around and there’s no parents around, it is heart-breaking,” she said.
Cambridgeshire Police stated that emergency crews remained at the scene, and surrounding roads were expected to remain closed for some time while authorities worked to clear the area. The fire service assisted with rescuing the driver from the vehicle.
While the cause of the crash has yet to be fully explained, the swift actions of local residents and emergency responders helped ensure that the children were safely evacuated and received the care they needed.