Bus Roof Ripped Straight Off After Driving Under Low Bridge

Ever felt like a dick for double checking whether you can fit under a car park height barrier, when there was clearly plenty of room? Well, let this story serve as reminder that it is always better to check yourself before you wreck yourself.

via GIPHY

A double decker bus in Bristol, UK, has been left considerably shorter after colliding with a low railway bridge on Friday afternoon. Evidently the bus hit the bridge with considerable force, as the entire roof from front to back was ripped off in the crash.

Fortunately, there were no passengers on board at the time of the crash; it is understood the bus was on its way to pick up passengers at the time.

The driver was also unharmed in the collision, though understandably shocked. A fire crew attended the scene and closed the road for several hours while they checked for fuel leaks and ensured the road was safe for other motorists.

Locals said double decker buses are ordinarily able to travel through the arched railway bridge by manoeuvring into the middle of the road, according to Bristol Live.

The bridge was also inspected and was found not to be damaged, thanks to a steel barrier at the entrance, designed to absorb the impact from such collisions in order to preserve the integrity of the bridge.

Network Rail inspectors also attended the scene to ensure the railway above was still safe for train travel and said the incident 'did not have a significant impact on services'.

So, luckily, nobody and nothing was hurt or damaged by the crash - except the bus. Hopefully now this potentially dangerous incident is turned into a positive with the introduction of a new topless bus service to the south-westerly city.

Tourists could pile on to the newly converted bus and check out all the city has to offer, including Brunel's SS Great Britain transatlantic liner down at the harbour, St. Nicholas Market and the historic Clifton Suspension Bridge - which happily has no clearance issues for the driver to worry about.

Unfortunately, a quick search tells me there is already a fairly well established open top bus service running in the city, though none of the company's fleet are yellow and green, which could be used as a unique selling point. None of them quite have the same rustic charm either.

Featured Image Credit: Twitter/@justfranklin

Topics: Bus

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey