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LONDON - Police have arrested the driver of a double-decker coach that overturned on a motorway slip-road near Heathrow, killing two people, Thames Valley Police said today.
The National Express coach, with 67 passengers and two drivers on board, crashed just before midnight on Thursday as it left the M4 motorway to join the M25.
Emergency services declared the accident a major incident. More than 60 people were taken to hospital and nine remain in a critical condition, police said.
The driver, a man in his 40s, was arrested by detectives today on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. He is being questioned at a nearby police station.
Police said no other vehicle was believed to have been involved in the incident and the coach is now being examined by forensic experts.
One of the fatalities was identified as Christina Munro Toner, 76, from Dundee. Officers have not yet named the other passenger, a man, who was killed in the crash.
At least nine others remain in a critical condition.
Doctors at Hillingdon Hospital said some passengers had been dragged along the ground and had limbs torn off when the coach tipped over.
"We've had spinal injuries, we've had major head injuries and we've had limb trauma," surgeon David Houlihan-Burne told reporters.
"These patients were clearly thrown or dragged along grass or mud because there was heavy contamination of all the wounds."
The other injured people have been taken to hospitals in London and the Thames Valley area.
National Express said the coach was the 592 service from London Victoria to Aberdeen, via Heathrow, Carlisle, Hamilton, Glasgow and Dundee.
It left London at 10:30 p.m. and was due to arrive in Scotland at 10:25 a.m.
"Our thoughts and condolences go out to the families and loved ones of those involved in last night's accident," the company's Chief Executive Paul Bunting said.
The firm has provided hotel rooms, taxis and other help to customers and relations involved in the incident.
The cause of the accident was unclear.
- REUTERS
