School bus and Jeep were both below speed limit before crash that killed 28-year-old driver

Simon Harris, from Claverley, died when the Jeep he was driving collided with a coach carrying three schoolchildren in Wombourne at 4.30pm on September 8 last year.

Mr Harris, aged 28, was driving a blue Jeep Renegade on Tom Lane towards Halfpenny Green at 49mph when the crash happened, a coroner heard.

Meanwhile the Prospect coach was travelling in the other direction at 33mph before driver Alan Dean carried out an emergency braking manoeuvre.

Pc Sarah Mulvey, collision investigator for Staffordshire Police, told South Staffordshire Coroners' Court that Mr Dean had done "all that could be reasonably expected" to prevent the crash.

She said it was a "fine and dry" day, there were no defects and both vehicles had been following the speed limit.

Pc Mulvey said the road was relatively flat but there was a "sweeping left bend" from the viewpoint of the Jeep driver who had a restricted view because of a hedgerow, the court heard.

The road did narrow to 5.4m-wide at the point of the collision but it was still wide enough for both vehicles to pass, the officer said.

Mr Dean, who has worked for Stourbridge-based Prospect Coaches for 14 years and has more than 25 years of experience in the industry, said he started his shift at 7am in the morning as part of the school run.

Referring to Mr Harris, he told the court he would "never forget his face, never".

At around 4pm Mr Dean picked up junior schoolchildren around a mile from Kinver High School and later picked up some older students.

Mr Dean had travelled down Tom Lane where he saw a blue Jeep travelling "quite fast" towards him from around 400 yards away. He was able to see the Jeep earlier due to him having a higher seat which allowed him to see over the hedgerow.

He told the court the vehicle was travelling slightly on his side of the road and he had "gone as far" as he could into the coach's side before the collision.

Mr Dean had expected the Jeep driver to pass and shout some abuse but instead he saw the look of anger or panic on Mr Harris' face.

The coach driver recalled hearing a "bang" before some windscreen glass ended up in his mouth. He then moved the coach slightly forward to allow the three children to get off safely, telling them to "get off as quickly as you can, do not look back and go forward" as one little girl sobbed.

Mr Daniel Howe, presiding coroner, said the collision involved the front offside of both vehicles and Mr Harris had died as a result of multiple traumatic injuries caused by the collision.

Mr Howe added that Mr Harris had no alcohol or drugs in his system and concluded his cause of death was a road traffic collision.