The 2007 French coach crash occurred on 5 January 2007 near the French Alps. The coach was travelling towards Grenoble Airport, when it collided with a rock in the road and lost control - skidding on nearby ice then crashing<ref name="itv2"> Britons injured in coach crash - ITV News - Obtained January 5, 2007.</ref>.

Background

The coach was travelling from La Grave in south-east France to Grenoble Airport <ref name="itv2"/> with a party of schoolchildren from Kingsland Grange School, Shropshire, UK, who were returning to Britain after an annual skiing holiday.<ref name="BBC"> School party in Alps coach crash - BBC News - Obtained March 22, 2007.</ref> There were 22 pupils and 19 adults in the school trip;<ref name="BBC"/> the bus was thought to have been carrying a total of 45 Britons.<ref name="itv2"/> The occupants were travelling as part of a package from a company called Skiplan, based in Brighton,<ref name="itv2"/> but the coach itself was French owned and operated.<ref name="coach ownership and operation"> Four British tourists injured in French Alps coach crash - Edinburgh Evening News - Obtained March 24, 2007.</ref> All the children were aged between 9 and 13.<ref> School party in Alps coach crash - BBC News - Obtained March 24, 2007.</ref>

Crash

At about 6:30AM local time (0530 GMT)<ref name="Guardian"/> the coach collided with a rock that was obstructing the road, causing it to skid on nearby ice.<ref name="itv2"/> The coach was travelling near the French Alps at the time.<ref name="itv2"/> The accident occurred on the border between the Isère and Hautes-Alpes Departments, near the town of Bourg d'Oisans, on the D91 road.<ref name="Guardian"> Britons injured in French Alps coach crash - The Guardian - Obtained March 24, 2007.</ref>

Injuries and fatalities

Four people were been injured in the crash, one British man was seriously injured and three other passengers receved more minor injuries.<ref name="itv2"/> The severely injured man, identified as Max Bishop, IT teacher,<ref name="Max"/> was the group leader, and sustained severe head injuries when he was thrown through the windscreen of the coach,<ref name="BBC"/> requiring him to be flown to hospital, while the others were treated locally.<ref name="Guardian"/> The French driver was among the injured; all others were Brits.<ref> Crash In The French Alps British Tourists Were Injured.htm British Tourists Injured in Coach Crash in the French Alps - Irwin Mitchell Solicitors (News section) - Obtained March 24, 2007.</ref> He also receved fractures to his legs and ribs.<ref name="Sky"> Britons In Coach Crash - Sky News - Obtained March 24, 2007.</ref> He underwent successful emergency neuro-surgery for his head injuries.<ref name="Sky"/> The surgery's purpose was to remove a blood clot from his brain, and took two hours.<ref name="Max"> Alps Coach Crash Teacher in Coma - alexanderharris.co.uk (News section) - Obtained March 24, 2007.</ref> Uninjured passengers continued their journey to the airport on two other coaches.<ref name="Guardian"/> Many of the children were traumatised by the accident, and all were offered counseling as a result.<ref name="Max"/>

References

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External links

map of the crash area