Exclusive by Alan Quick

A DOUBLE decker bus came off the A377 road between Morchard Road and Bury Bends near Lapford at about 3pm today, Wednesday, November 9, during what has been described as “freak weather”.

The bus tipped onto its side and ended up at a 45 degree angle in a ditch but on top of hedging.

Emergency services were quickly on the scene, the police, the first of the services to arrive, asking all passengers to remain on the bus until fire crews arrived to make the bus stable.

Fire crews from Crediton, North Tawton and Chulmleigh were the first to attend.

Once the bus was made safe, the six passengers were assisted from the bus.

Passengers were treated in ambulances which had arrived on the scene. One of the ambulances was used to treat four passengers at one point.

One person sustained a leg injury.

Fortunately, there were no serious injuries to other passengers.

One female passenger told the “Courier” at the scene: “It was freak weather which caused the accident.

“The hail was thick and made the road slippery.

“We all stayed in the bus until the fire brigade helped us off.

“We were all ok and there was just one person with a leg injury.”

The female passenger, after being checked over by ambulance paramedics, was able to catch another bus to continue her journey home.

Firefighters were able to stabilise the bus with a cable to a tree across the road.

The Stagecoach bus had been travelling in the direction of Lapford from Morchard Road and Stagecoach representatives were quickly on the scene

A Devon Air Ambulance attended and paramedics from it helped to treat those injured.

Police closed the A377 at Morchard Road and Lapford and a diversion was put in place.

The road was re-opened at about 6.30pm.