A man has died following a school bus crash in south Armagh on Tuesday afternoon.
Police have confirmed that the driver of the vehicle – involved in a single-vehicle collision on the Tullyah Road area near Belleeks – sadly passed away at the scene.
The incident, which happened shortly before 4pm on Tuesday, February 17, involved a bus carrying pupils from St Paul’s High School in Bessbrook. The bus toppled in the collision.
All of the children on board were able to exit the vehicle safely, and there have been no reports of injuries among the pupils.
School principal, Daithí Murray, confirmed to UTV that all the children were subsequently collected by their parents.
In a statement issued on Wednesday morning, a PSNI spokesperson said: “Police received a report of a single vehicle road traffic collision involving a bus on the Tullyagh Road, Belleek, on Tuesday afternoon, February 17.
“The driver of the vehicle sadly passed away at the scene. No other injuries have been reported at this time.
“The road was closed for a period of time but has since re-opened.”
The driver’s passing is being treated at this stage as a sudden death.
The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service had dispatched five ambulances and additional paramedic crews to the scene on Tuesday, while fire crews and police also attended.
In a statement, Quinn Coaches said: “We are deeply saddened to confirm that one of our drivers was involved in a road traffic accident whilst transporting school children [on Tuesday].
“Despite immediate emergency response, our dear colleague sadly passed away.
“Our first thoughts are with his family, friends, and fellow colleagues during this incredibly difficult time.
“He was a respected and experienced member of our team, and he will be greatly missed.
“We are relieved to confirm that no children were injured during the incident. The safety and wellbeing of our drivers and passengers is always our highest priority.
“We are fully cooperating with the relevant authorities as part of standard procedure.
“We kindly ask that the privacy of the driver’s family and the school community be respected at this time.”
