Kempsey bus crash
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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, in the cabin of the Brisbane-bound coach, operated by TransCity. The Sydney-bound coach was forced 5 rows back into the other. The accident triggered a major immediate response as police, SES and volunteer rescuers, fire brigades & paramedics attended the accident.
A fleet of air ambulances & helicopters carried the injured to hospitals at Kempsey, Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour and Sydney. A NSW Coroner's inquiry into the collision found that the Sydney coach's driver fell asleep at the wheel. The driver had failed to negotiate a left-hand bend on the highway and crossed to the wrong side, thus colliding with the Brisbane coach.
The coroner renewed calls for the Pacific Highway to be upgraded to dual carriageway between Newcastle and the Queensland border, following the 21 deaths in the Grafton bus crash two months earlier in October, 1989. The coroner also recommended research into coach seats, seat anchorages and seatbelts. Better emergency exits for coaches were also recommended, as rescuers were unable to enter the wreckage immediately because the exits were 2.4m above the ground.
The Sydney coach had travelled in a straight line until the curve on the highway and 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 said.
Amongst those killed in the crash were Brisbane-based journalists John and Robyn Harris and their teenage son Nicky. John was Arts Editor of The Sun newspaper while Robyn was a feature writer.
