Driver cleared over horror smash

Edward Barends (37), of Sheffield, had been driving a TM Travel single-decker which hit a skip lorry, pushing it into the path of an on-coming First double-decker in Hooton Roberts.

The double-decker driver, Peter Drury (57), of Brinworth, was killed, two men had to be cut from from the skip lorry and 18 people were injured in the smash two years ago.

Barends, from Sheffield, who denied causing death by careless driving, was acquitted due to insufficient evidence on the direction of Judge Simon Lawler at Sheffield Crown Court in the second week of his trial.

The crash happened as the single-decker went downhill on Ravenfield Lane to a T-junction and ran into the path of the skip lorry which was shoved into the middle of the road, where it collided with the double-decker.

The court heard Barends’s bus had several defects but a forensic collision investigaton said Barends would have been unaware of them.

The prosecution had argued that Barends should have been able to stop and avoid the collision if he had been driving with due care and attention.