No charges over Rest and Be Thankful coach crash

The scene of the accident, when the coach left the road. Picture: PA

A COACH which crashed near the Rest and Be Thankful pass seriously injuring five people was blown off the road and the driver will not be charged, a Police Scotland investigation has concluded.

The incident two weeks ago, in which 14 others were hurt, left the vehicle feet from the edge of Loch Restil after it rolled off the A83 in Argyll.

Police said they had decided not to send a report to the procurator fiscal following the conclusion of their investigations - which means no potential charges are pending.

A spokeswoman told The Scotsman today: “There will be no police action. The coach was blown off the road.”

She said a report is sent after a road crash only if a crime has been committed or someone has died.

The coach was carrying a group of 52 pensioners from Kent was on a day trip from the Loch Awe Hotel.

Helicopters took some of the most seriously injured to the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow and Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley.

Motorists helped others to their cars to keep them warm until ambulances arrived.

Mick Long, 66, who suffered a fractured collar bone in the crash, said: “The wind took the skylights off the roof of the coach, the wind came across and just punched us right over.

“The driver did her best but nobody could have held that.

“When you are in that situation there is nothing you can do, you can’t hold on, your body is being thrown all over the place.

“It rolled over and it was like being in a washing machine.”

Chief Inspector Fraser Candlish said at the time: “Inquiries are ongoing to establish the exact circumstances surrounding the incident, however early indications would suggest that the high winds may have been a factor.”

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