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 motorway during a trip to Somerset.
The boy, 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 May 16, 2014.
Keith Jones, 63, the owner of Keith Jones Coaches, and the driver Tudor West, 62, were convicted of offences following a trial at Bristol Crown Court.
Keith 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 was disqualified from driving for 18 months, after being convicted of dangerous driving.
Investigating officer PC Wayne Carhart said: “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.”
