Kempsey bus crash
Encyclopedia
The Kempsey bus crash occurred in Australia
on December 22, 1989 when two full tourist coaches, each travelling at 100km/h, collided head-on on the Pacific Highway
at Clybucca Flat, 12 km north of Kempsey
, New South Wales
. The collision killed both drivers instantly. The impact snapped seats from their anchor bolts. Seats and passengers were thrown about the vehicles with a terrific amount of force, which also trapped people and their luggage against the back of the bus. 35 people died and 41 were injured.
The force of the impact left a Sydney
-bound coach, operated by McCafferty's Coaches, embedded in the front five rows of the cabin of the Brisbane
-bound coach, operated by Parkes-based Trans City. The accident triggered a major emergency response as police
, SES
and volunteer rescuers, firefighters and paramedics attended the accident.
A fleet of air ambulance
s and helicopters carried the injured to hospitals at Kempsey, Port Macquarie
, Coffs Harbour
and Sydney. A New South Wales Coroner's inquiry into the collision found that the driver of the McCafferty's coach fell asleep at the wheel. This caused his vehicle to travel straight on through a left-hand curve on the highway and collide with the Trans City coach. There was no indication that the driver had applied his brakes or dimmed the headlights, the coroner found. Neither coach was speeding at the time of the crash, and no mechanical faults were found in either vehicle.
The coroner endorsed the recommendation made following the Grafton bus crash
two months earlier, that the Pacific Highway be upgraded to dual carriageway
between Newcastle
and the Queensland
border. The New South Wales and Commonwealth governments committed to carry out the required work, with an initial promised completion date of 2006. This target never came close to being met; at July 2008, only 267km (or 39%) of the route had been upgraded to dual carriageway
standard. 87km of divided road is under construction and 325km remains single carriageway.
The coroner also recommended research into coach seats, seat anchorages and seatbelts. Better emergency exits for coaches were also recommended, as rescuers were hindered in their initial efforts to enter the wreckage by the positioning of the exits 2.4m from the ground.
Amongst those killed in the crash were Brisbane-based journalists John and Robyn Harris and their teenage son Nicky. John was Arts Editor of Brisbane's The Sun newspaper while Robyn was a feature writer.
Despite the extensive damage suffered in the collision, both coaches were rebuilt early in 1990 and returned to service with their respective owners. After the demise of Trans City, its fleet was sold off and McCafferty's was among the purchasers, buying three coaches including the one involved in the accident. Both of the coaches involved in the Kempsey collision remained in service with McCafferty's until early in the 21st century.
The McCafferty's coach from the Kempsey crash was involved in another accident exactly 14 years later, in the early hours of 22 December 2003. On this occasion the coach was travelling south towards Rockhampton on the Bruce Highway when it was involved in a head-on collision with a truck. On this occasion there were no fatalities, with six people suffering minor injuries. However, the coach was damaged beyond economic repair and was written off.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
on December 22, 1989 when two full tourist coaches, each travelling at 100km/h, collided head-on on the Pacific Highway
Pacific Highway (Australia)
The Pacific Highway is a major transport route along part of the east coast of Australia and is part of Australia's national route 1.It is 960 km long and links Sydney, the capital of New South Wales, to Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, along the coast, via Gosford, Newcastle, Taree, Port...
at Clybucca Flat, 12 km north of Kempsey
Kempsey, New South Wales
Kempsey is a town in the Mid North Coast region of New South Wales, Australia and is the council seat for Kempsey Shire. It is located 15 kilometres inland from the coast of the Pacific Ocean where the Pacific Highway and the North Coast railway line cross the Macleay River...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. The collision killed both drivers instantly. The impact snapped seats from their anchor bolts. Seats and passengers were thrown about the vehicles with a terrific amount of force, which also trapped people and their luggage against the back of the bus. 35 people died and 41 were injured.
The force of the impact left a Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
-bound coach, operated by McCafferty's Coaches, embedded in the front five rows of the cabin of the Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
-bound coach, operated by Parkes-based Trans City. The accident triggered a major emergency response as police
New South Wales Police
The New South Wales Police Force is the primary law enforcement agency in the State of New South Wales, Australia. It is an agency of the Government of New South Wales within the New South Wales Ministry for Police...
, SES
State Emergency Service
A State Emergency Service is an Australian volunteer organisation that provides emergency help during and after declared disasters. The SES is also the primary or secondary agency for emergencies, such as storm damage,flood damage, building damage, traffic hazards and road crash rescue...
and volunteer rescuers, firefighters and paramedics attended the accident.
A fleet of air ambulance
Air ambulance
An air ambulance is an aircraft used for emergency medical assistance in situations where either a traditional ambulance cannot reach the scene easily or quickly enough, or the patient needs to be transported over a distance or terrain that makes air transportation the most practical transport....
s and helicopters carried the injured to hospitals at Kempsey, Port Macquarie
Port Macquarie, New South Wales
Port Macquarie is a city on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, located about north of Sydney, and south of Brisbane. The city is located on the coast, at the mouth of the Hastings River, and has an estimated population of 44,313....
, Coffs Harbour
Coffs Harbour, New South Wales
-History:By the early 1900s, the Coffs Harbour area had become an important timber production centre. Before the opening of the North Coast Railway Line, the only way to transport large items of heavy but low value, such as timber, was by coastal shipping. This meant sawmillers on the North Coast...
and Sydney. A New South Wales Coroner's inquiry into the collision found that the driver of the McCafferty's coach fell asleep at the wheel. This caused his vehicle to travel straight on through a left-hand curve on the highway and collide with the Trans City coach. There was no indication that the driver had applied his brakes or dimmed the headlights, the coroner found. Neither coach was speeding at the time of the crash, and no mechanical faults were found in either vehicle.
The coroner endorsed the recommendation made following the Grafton bus crash
Grafton bus crash
The Grafton bus crash killed 21 people and injured 22 on the Pacific Highway on the North Coast of New South Wales near Grafton. At some time between 3:50 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. on Friday, 20 October 1989 a southbound semi-trailer truck carrying a load of tinned fruit juice veered onto the wrong side...
two months earlier, that the Pacific Highway be upgraded to dual carriageway
Dual carriageway
A dual carriageway is a class of highway with two carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation...
between Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
and the Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
border. The New South Wales and Commonwealth governments committed to carry out the required work, with an initial promised completion date of 2006. This target never came close to being met; at July 2008, only 267km (or 39%) of the route had been upgraded to dual carriageway
Dual carriageway
A dual carriageway is a class of highway with two carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation...
standard. 87km of divided road is under construction and 325km remains single carriageway.
The coroner also recommended research into coach seats, seat anchorages and seatbelts. Better emergency exits for coaches were also recommended, as rescuers were hindered in their initial efforts to enter the wreckage by the positioning of the exits 2.4m from the ground.
Amongst those killed in the crash were Brisbane-based journalists John and Robyn Harris and their teenage son Nicky. John was Arts Editor of Brisbane's The Sun newspaper while Robyn was a feature writer.
Despite the extensive damage suffered in the collision, both coaches were rebuilt early in 1990 and returned to service with their respective owners. After the demise of Trans City, its fleet was sold off and McCafferty's was among the purchasers, buying three coaches including the one involved in the accident. Both of the coaches involved in the Kempsey collision remained in service with McCafferty's until early in the 21st century.
The McCafferty's coach from the Kempsey crash was involved in another accident exactly 14 years later, in the early hours of 22 December 2003. On this occasion the coach was travelling south towards Rockhampton on the Bruce Highway when it was involved in a head-on collision with a truck. On this occasion there were no fatalities, with six people suffering minor injuries. However, the coach was damaged beyond economic repair and was written off.