Friday

A trip to The 5 Sisters Zoo ended in disaster today. 10 2yr olds and 4 staff.

Driving along the A71, outside The Dalmahoy Hotel. The oncoming traffic were crawling along, we were doing 40mph in a 50 zone. A car in the oncoming traffic decided to try and overtake as I was approaching. I don't know why because it had nowhere to go; it couldn't slip in behind anyone as there was no space.
I swerved to the left to try and avoid it but couldn't so it hit us on the side. I kept turning to the left, putting the brakes on. The airbags deployed and I remember trying to push it out the way as I was still trying to control the bus. We eventually stopped a bit down the road, narrowingly missing driving into a wall.
Smoke was belching into the bus and I remember shouting we need to get the kids out. I couldn't get out the drivers side so crawled over to the passengers.

I think the person who hit us, tried to keep driving.

Police were called, ambulances were called, people jumped out their car to help, men moved all the debris off the road, the woman behind me got all the kids in her car and stuck her iphone on to watch cartoons. Nobody had a scratch on them, remarkably.
I got breathalised, statements were taken, we were checked over. Then we had to take all the children in an ambulance to The Sick Kids. Their parents were meeting us there.
They got checked, we got checked and after what seemed like a long long time we got to go home.

I've got a thumping headache and feel a bit shaky and there has been plenty of tears.
The Police and the Ambulance said that I did a good job and were surprised the bus hadn't flipped.

She has been charged with careless driving.