An elderly woman had a lucky escape yesterday when she reversed her car into a bus at the entrance to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness.
It is believed that, prior to the collision, she had taken over the wheel from her husband, who had pulled over just yards into the car park entrance as he was running late for an appointment and could not find a space.
Police said that no one was hurt but it is understood that the woman driving the Volkswagen Golf car – thought to be an automatic – attended accident and emergency for a check-up.
A spokeswoman for Stagecoach said the bus was removed from service for repair and that the company will carry out their own investigation.
Witness John Walker was parked in a lay-by near the car park entrance when he saw the car reverse towards the main road and strike the bus, at about 9.35am.
Mr Walker, a salesman from Fife, said: “I looked up and the bus had gone past the entrance and the car came out fairly fast and reversed into the back third of the bus. The bus was about two thirds of the way past the turn-off but the car crashed into it.”
Another member of public, who did not want to be named, said that she was looking after the elderly couple’s two pet dogs while they were in the hospital.
Yesterday at the scene, the rear end of the grey Volkswagen car was badly damaged from the collision and pieces of glass and plastic were left strewn across the road.
A police spokeswoman also said that on Saturday, a woman was taken to Raigmore Hospital with “serious but non life-threatening injuries” after she was struck by her own vehicle at Kilvean cemetery, Torvean.
It is understood the vehicle was parked on a slope but was not properly secured with the handbrake.
