South Yorkshire Times, May 24th, 1969
The Scene Of The Crash At Conisborough On Wednesday
Passengers were flung violently about and sprayed with shattered glass when a double-deck bus in which they were travelling to Doncaster was in collision with a tanker carrying highly inflammable, scalding naphthalene at Conisbrough on Wednesday afternoon.
After the crash, which occurred at the junction of Low Road with the Main Sheffield – Doncaster trunk Road, Brooke Square, West Yorkshire police described the tanker as “a great potential fire danger.”
Twelve Injured
Twelve people were injured in the crash, including ten passengers on the Doncaster bound bus, which had its lower-deck windows smashed by the impact. All were allowed home after treatment at Mexborough Montagu Hospital or Doncaster Royal Infirmary.
Minutes before the pile-up the tanker, bound for Tees- side, had taken on 13 tons of naphthalene at the Kilnhurst plant of Yorkshire Tar r Distillers. A police spokesman, told the “South Yorkshire Times” on Wednesday, “It was most fortunate that the tanker was not holed in the collision.
Potential Danger
“If it had been, bus passengers could have been scalded by the very hot liquid, and there was a great potential fire danger. If there had been ignition you can imagine the results.”
Among those to receive hospital treatment was the ‘bus driver, Mr. John Sutcliffe, of 3, Lymes Terrace, Skellow, and the driver of a motor van, also involved, Mr. George Day, of 22 Central Avenue, Swinton.
Others treated and later allowed home were Alice Hadlett, of 383, Bentley Road, Doncaster; Sidney McVan and Ethel McVan, of Maple Road, Mexhorough; Vera Bird, of 125, Clayfield View, Mexborough; Margaret M. Ridyard of 4, Festival Road, Wath; Denise Hanson, (4), and Elaine Hanson: (14), of Links Way, New Lane, Rossington; Mrs Lorie Jackson and Walter Jackson, of 33, Raleigh, Avenue, Blackpool; and Harry Asher, of 12, Doncaster Road, Hooton Roberts.
The tanker driver, Mr. J N. Leonard, of Denby Road, Billingharn, Stockton-on-Tees, was unhurt. The scene of the accident was strewn with shattered glass and the road remained partially blocked for more than an hour. Police praised local residents who came quickly to the aid of the injured and provided the casualties with tea.
Shower of Glass
One of the ‘bus passengers, Mrs. Margaret M. Ridyard, of Wath- on- Dearne, said the most horrible split second for her was the sudden, awful noise of the impact and the violent concussion and shower of shattered glass.
She was sitting immediately opposite the shattered windows and by the greatest of fortune had chosen there to escape the heat of the sun. She was flung violently to the floor, her forehead and the bridge of her nose crashing against the forward seat. Her handbag flew to the back of the bus and there was a terrible second when the bus swayed and she, like other passengers, wondered whether it was going over on to its side.
She sustained half a dozen cuts to her face, a bruising on her forehead which rapidly swelled to the size of an egg, a bruise on her nose which temporarily affected her vision, cuts to the arms and fingers and bruises and abrasions to her legs and thighs. The cuts were complicated by glass fragments which were removed at Doncaster Infirmary. Her coat was spattered with blood and she used two handkerchiefs and tissue to try to staunch, the facial cuts.
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