Andover crash: Bus driver fined after roof torn off in bridge strike

The bus was out of service at the time of the crash, its operator said

A double-decker bus driver has been fined £80 after he struck a low bridge, ripping off the roof.

The vehicle hit the bridge in Charlton Road, Andover, Hampshire, on 12 November 2019, leaving the roof on the road behind it. No-one was injured.

Andrew McAuley, 58, of Holmsley Close, Southampton, previously pleaded guilty at Aldershot Magistrates' Court to careless driving.

Five penalty points were added to his licence.

The vehicle's roof was left lying in the road

A witness, who did not want to be named, previously said she was walking with her 10-year-old daughter at about 09:45 GMT when she heard an "almighty bang" on the road behind her.

She said: "We jumped and turned around. The bus just kept going quite fast like nothing had happened. Things were falling off it."

The witness said the bus came to a stop about 150m (490ft) down the road.

Bus operator Wheelers Travel previously said the vehicle was out of service at the time.

In 2008, a double-decker bus had its top ripped off when it hit the same 3.5m (11ft 9in) bridge under the A343. Again, no-one was injured.

No-one was injured in the crash, police said