A COACH driver and operator have been sentenced following an incident in which a 13-year-old boy fell from an emergency exit onto the M49.

The boy, who was part of an under 13s rugby tour travelling from South Wales to Somerset, fell onto lane two of the southbound carriageway from a rear emergency exit of the coach on Friday, May 16 2014.

A car travelling behind the coach missed hitting the boy by just a few feet.

Keith Jones, 63, of Bridge Street, Bridgend, the owner of Travel Final Ltd, and the driver Tudor West, 62, of Oxford Street, Bridgend, have been convicted of offences following a trial at Bristol Crown Court.  

  • Jones was sentenced to a nine-month jail sentence suspended for two years, 75 hours of unpaid work, eight points on his driving licence and he was ordered to pay £1,500 costs, after being convicted of aiding and abetting dangerous driving.
  • West was sentenced to a six-month jail sentence suspended for two years, 180 hours of unpaid work and he was disqualified from driving for 18 months, after being convicted of dangerous driving. 

Investigating officer PC Wayne Carhart said: “The boy was taking part in a mini rugby tour and the party of players, family and friends, were on their way from Tondy to Burnham-on-Sea.

“When the coach came off the M4 at the Second Severn Crossing and left a roundabout, the rear emergency exit door opened and the boy fell onto the carriageway between junctions 18 and 22.

“If the woman driving her car behind the coach hadn’t been as switched on as she was, we could easily have been dealing with a fatality.

“The boy was taken to hospital with head injuries and while he’s made a recovery, he’s still being monitored after suffering swelling to the brain.

"We carried out a joint investigation into the incident with the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA).

“When the coach was examined, nine potentially dangerous defects were discovered, including three affecting the emergency exit door.

“I hope this conviction serves as a stark reminder, not only to coach firms but to all motorists, that we’re all responsible for the vehicles we drive and it’s our responsibility to ensure they’re roadworthy before we set off.

“If you choose to ignore your responsibilities you run the risk of causing serious or even fatal injuries to yourself, your passengers or other road users.”