A runaway coach has caused significant damage at Shanklin’s Ocean View Hotel, smashing into 2 vehicles and completely destroying a wall and bin store.
The incident occurred shortly after the coach arrived in the hotel car park on Park Road at around 17:50 this evening (Saturday).
Island Echo is told that the unoccupied Yutong GT12 coach was seen to roll down a slight gradient, picking up speed as it went. It appears the handbrake was not functioning.
The 2025 registered coach then smashed into a white van, owned by the hotel manager, forcing it through a wall and over the edge of a small drop into a bin store.
A second vehicle – a white Ford Focus estate – has also been damaged in the crash.
Firefighters from Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service have been called to the incident to stabilise the large vehicle and assess the structural integrity of what remains.
No injuries have been reported.
It is said that the bin store area is often used by staff on their breaks – but by luck no one was there at the time.
Have to say as accidents go that is pretty impressive. Handbrake not functioning? Not applied, or lack of upkeep.
A one month old coach, how much upkeep do you imagine that needed?
It all happens on the Isle of Wight
For once I cannot blame speeding
(makes a change)
but (for once) a strategically placed speed hump, might have stopped it …
LOL
Good point I never thought of that.
I guess the downgrade from a five star hotel means a downgrade of coaches.
Question, do modern coaches have hand brakes?
The driver needs to take another driving test, the vehicle should have been left in gear.
Very true, also turning the steering wheel on full
turn, means it wouldn’t have rolled forward.
It could have been prevented.
Most modern coaches are now Automatic, so need to be put in Neutral and Handbrake applied (Electronic Handbrake these days).
Strange as its new and would be fully automated when stopped would of thought all systems locked on a modern vehicle?
Negligence is probably the real answer.
Chinese rubbish by the sounds of it, expect it came with a driver right out the box from amazon.