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Bus driver given suspended sentence after crash into Eccles railway bridge
Overview
A bus driver who went on "autopilot" and ignored low bridge warnings before crashing a double-decker bus into a railway bridge in Eccles has been given a suspended prison sentence. The July 2025 crash tore off the roof of the bus, injuring 15 people, including three seriously.
Key points
- Driver Christopher Henry admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving after hitting a low railway bridge on Barton Lane in Eccles in July 2025.
- The double-decker bus had taken a wrong turn off its scheduled route, and Henry ignored several low bridge warnings.
- Fifteen people were injured, with three suffering serious injuries including a fractured skull, and several passengers were ejected from the top deck.
- Henry received a two-year and eight-month prison sentence, suspended for two-and-a-half years, alongside 300 hours of unpaid work and a two-year driving ban.
- Transport for Greater Manchester stated that new signage and warning measures were installed at the bridge within 48 hours of the collision.