Boris Bus driven on the wrong route careers into two others buses and three cars leaving three people seriously hurt in pile-up

Three people are recovering in hospital today after being injured when a new Routemaster buses smashed into a queue of stationary traffic.
The £354,000 number 11 bus was on its first day in service which it slammed into a two other buses and a line of cars during the six vehicle pile-up.
Transport for London has confirmed the bus was not following its normal route - between Liverpool Street and Fulham Broadway, on September 21 - when the crash happened at about 1pm yesterday Chelsea Bridge Road.

Investigation: A policeman examines the scene where three London buses and two cars collided on Chelsea Bridge Road, London

Ten ambulances treated passengers at the scene and London Fire Brigade used hydraulic cutting equipment to free at least one person from the wreckage.
The 58-year-old bus driver was among the three seriously injured, with a further 12 people treated for minor injuries.

 

A 47-year-old man and 34-year-old woman, the occupants of a Citroen car left in a crumpled heap of metal following the smash, today remained in hospital.
A police spokesman said: 'At this early stage it appear the driver of a "New Bus for London" collided with a line of stationary traffic from the rear. Enquiries continue to establish the circumstances of the incident.

Smash: The £354,000 new Routemaster bus collided with a line of stationary traffic, including two other buses, according to reports

Destruction: The collision on Chelsea Bridge Road, London, left twisted wreckage strewn across the carriageway

'London Ambulance Service also attended and 12 people were treated for minor injuries.
'A further three people, two men and one woman, were more seriously injured and taken to a central London hospital where they remain - none of their injuries are believed to be life threatening.'
Mike Weston, Operations Director for London Buses, said: 'We can confirm one of these buses was a New Bus for London vehicle.
'Our first concern is, of course, for the driver, passengers and others involved in this incident and can confirm the emergency services were in attendance. 
'There will be a thorough investigation into this incident as a matter of urgency.'
TfL have launched an investigation after an apparent witness claimed one of the buses had been going too fast and ran a red light.

This new bus is one of 600 TfL hopes to have on London's streets by 2016 at a cost of £212million.
The buses, described by London Mayor Boris Johnson as 'a brilliant feat of British engineering', were first trialled on route 38 — where several continue to operate alongside conventional double-deckers.

Crash: Ambulances and fire engines rushed to the scene of the crash to help the injured passengers

On twitter, @ontheriverdave said: 'This was no ordinary bus, I saw a bus with what looked like a stuck throttle/no brakes, big impact, 30mph+ really nasty!! :('
He later tweeted: 'crash in Chelsea, I witnessed an out of control bus run a red light and then crash, are new buses safe?'
One man, who did not want to be named, said someone had seen a bus speeding past the Rose and Crown pub moments before the crash.
He told the Evening Standard: 'I don’t know if the bus was on its way back the depot, or if it had been diverted due to the cycle race, but it certainly had no business being on that road, it’s not the number 11 route.'
The Met Police have made no arrests.

New arrival: London Mayor Boris Johnson launched the new Routemaster style bus, which cost £354,000 each, to great fanfare

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