Bus crash arrest

The bus, travelling from the Ikon and Diva nightclub at Clifton Moor, smashed into the partition wall of The Churchill Hotel, in Bootham, and then struck the parapet of a nearby railway bridge at about 1.50am.

A 21-year-old local man has been arrested in connection with the crash.

North Yorkshire Police spokesman Ron Johnson confirmed the arrested man was not the bus driver.

Hotel staff, who were first on the scene, said shocked passengers told them that someone had pulled the steering wheel from the driver.

They said they found one man trapped under masonry in the bus. He was still breathing, but died shortly afterwards, with a passer-by holding his hand.

A further four people, including the driver, were injured. They were taken to York Hospital. It is not known how many people were on the bus.

Bootham was closed to traffic and trains were delayed on the York to Scarborough railway line as emergency services worked to secure the area.

The man's body was removed from the bus at 8.30am, as police officers from the Collision Investigation Unit continued their inquiries.

The operation to remove the bus began shortly before 10am, with recovery workers using an inflatable tube to lift the front of the bus as it was pulled away from the wall.

As the wreckage was moved, blood and debris could be seen in the aisle inside the bus.

About 50 onlookers watched as the wreckage was moved.

A green plastic sheet was then draped over the front of the bus, where it had been damaged.

The duty night manager at The Churchill, Gary Billingham, and trainee receptionist Dave Perry, said they heard a loud bang and ran outside to see three men running from the bus.

Mr Billingham said: "It sounded just like an explosion. We saw what had happened and I rang the emergency services. I work five nights a week so you get used to seeing the buses going past."

Mr Perry, who was the first person to get on the bus, said: "One of the passengers told me that somebody pulled the wheel from the driver because he wanted to get off, and then they ploughed into the wall."

But Mr Johnson said it was too early to comment on the cause of the crash.

The First company has operated the Ikon and Diva late night shuttle service since the club first opened five years ago.

The driver who has been released from hospital, was said to be "very shocked" about the accident.

Peter Edwards, commercial manager, for First, said the company was co-operating fully with the police.

"Until now, it has been a trouble-free arrangement," he said. "It is so sad that an incident like this has taken somebody's life."

Mr Edwards said that suggestions about the cause of the accident were just "speculation at this stage".

A spokesman for Luminar Leisure, owners of Ikon and Diva, said: "This is a tragic and distressing incident which has deeply affected staff and management, and will shock our customers."

As a result of the incident, police closed the A19 at the Clifton Green junction to all southbound traffic. Vehicles were diverted via Water Lane towards Wigginton Road and Water End towards Holgate. The road reopened at midday.

In the city centre, the Bootham Bar traffic lights were operated manually by police officers with access from Gillygate and St Leonard's Place to Bootham for residents only.

A City of York Council spokeswoman said car parks at Marygate and Bootham Row would be closed for most of the day.

Park&Ride bus passengers were warned that the Green Service from Rawcliffe Bar was stopping at Station Rise and not running past Museum Gardens and through the city centre to Bootham.

Rail passengers travelling between the East Coast and York were warned to expect minor delays.

Police are appealing for witnesses to the accident to phone them on 01904 669884.

Updated: 13:32 Friday, April 16, 2004