A BUS carrying dozens of children to school in Dumbarton was involved in an early morning car crash which ended with 21 pupils in hospital.
The accident took place on the Renton Road near Dalreoch when the McColl’s charter bus carrying children from Bonhill and Balloch in the Vale of Leven to our Lady and St Patrick’s High School in Dumbarton was in collision with a Vauxhall Corsa being driven by a 27-year-old man.
He was airlifted to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Glasgow where his condition was later said to be serious. Some 19 pupils were taken by ambulance to the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley.
Two more pupils were later taken to hospital by relatives but the condition of all the pupils is not thought to be serious while the bus driver was said to be uninjured but shocked.
Police Scotland Inspector Inspector Adam McKenzie said: “We are still conducting enquiries to establish the circumstances of the crash and I am appealing to anyone who may have been travelling on the road and who may have information which could assist in our investigation to contact us.”
A Scottish Ambulance Service spokesman said: “We received a call at 8.40am today to attend a road traffic collision in Dumbarton. We dispatched four ambulances, one patient transport ambulance, one paramedic response unit, our helimed air ambulance and SCOTSTAR emergency medical retrieval service to the scene.
“We can confirm that we have taken a total of 21 patients to two hospitals in Glasgow and Renfrewshire — Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and Royal Alexandra Hospital.
“One male patient was taken by helicopter to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.”
A council spokesman said: “Enquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances of the crash. All affected parents and carers have been informed.
“Parents needing any information should contact the school.”
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