Bus driver jailed after passenger's death in Swansea crash

Eric Vice, 64, was on his way to Swansea University when he crashed into a bridge

A bus driver who crashed his double-decker bus into a bridge, killing a passenger, has been jailed.

Jessica Jing Ren, 36, died 11 days after the bus, which was going to Swansea University, hit a bridge on Neath Road on 12 December 2019.

Eric Vice, 64, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving at Swansea Crown Court.

He was sentenced to two years and six months.

Ms Ren had been on the front row of the upper deck of the bus and was on her phone at the time of the crash, the court heard.

She was a visiting academic at the university's accounting and finance department from Huanghuai University in China, where she had a five-year-old son with her husband, who is also a lecturer.

Prosecutor Carina Hughes said the crash left trapped passengers covered in debris and forced to crouch down in the flattened upper deck while they waited to be rescued.

Olympic gold medallist and 400m hurdles world record holder Kevin Young, who was studying at the university, saw Ms Ren hit the front windscreen.

Eric Vice is "consumed with guilt" his defence barrister said

"Mr Young says that she was slowly trying to mouth some words to him, but it was inaudible.

"He described that he held her hand to try and comfort her until the police and paramedics arrived."

Ms Hughes said Ms Ren had been unconscious when cut out of the bus by firefighters 90 minutes later and was airlifted to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, with spine injuries, leg fractures, lacerations and a severe brain injury.

She died on 23 December.

Aerospace engineering student Richard Thompson, 20, was seriously injured in the crash and required facial reconstruction. Mr Young suffered a head wound and two broken ribs.

The court heard passenger statements saying the bus appeared to be running late and the driver had been waving passengers on to the bus without scanning their tickets.

Ms Hughes said when Vice encountered traffic between Swansea University's Singleton campus and its Swansea Bay campus, he decided to take a different route, one he had taken several times before when driving a single-decker bus.

She said 21 passengers has been on board, 13 of whom were on the top deck.

Ms Hughes said Vice had driven past two height restriction warnings on the route.

The bus went under the stone arch of the railway bridge, but hit the lower steel bridge.

Ian Ibrahim, defending, said it had been "without doubt a catastrophic error of judgement."

He added: "He is consumed with guilt - he's been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder and severe depression."

Jessica Jing Ren was a visiting academic at Swansea University from Huanghuai University in China

Judge Geraint Williams said: "That fatal error of yours resulted in the death of a promising young academic.

"Following the crash you stayed at the scene where you witnessed first-hand the carnage you had created.

"I can't think of a word short of carnage to describe the scene on the upstairs of that bus - but it could have been many, many times worse.

"The stark reality in this case is that your impatience that day robbed you of the care which ordinarily you applied to your professional driving."

The scene inside the bus after it crashed into a railway bridge in Neath Road, Swansea

At the time of her death, Ms Ren's family said in a statement: "Jessica was the loving wife of Wenquang Wang, a devoted mother to five-year-old Yushu Wang and the cherished Daughter of Mingqi Ren.

"A much loved and talented academic, Jessica will be deeply missed by her family and her friends both in China and in Swansea and will leave a great void in their lives."

In a statement released after Ms Ren died, Swansea University said: "We are deeply shocked and saddened to hear of the death of Jessica Jing Ren.

"Our thoughts are with Jessica's family at this time and we extend our deepest condolences at their tragic loss."