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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
National
Tim Baker

Orpington bus crash: Driver who died in smash that injured 15 named as 'devoted' grandfather Kenneth Matcham

The driver of one of the buses that crashed in Orpington last week has been named by police as a "devoted" grandfather of seven.

Kenneth Matcham, 60, died at the scene in south-east London after a car collided with two red buses.

Speaking to Mail Online, his daughter Shellie Jay Gardiner Gardiner said "life won't be the same" without her dad, who she described as a devoted grandfather of seven.

More than £16,000 on a fundraising page has been raised to support Mr Matcham's family after the crash.

Ms Gardiner thanked everyone who had donated, saying the money "will help us give him the best send off he deserves".

She added: "This pain is unbearable."

Another 15 people were treated at the scene on Thursday last week.

The driver of the car was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and drug driving.

He has since been released under investigation.

Over the weekend, his daughter Ms Gardner told MailOnline: “He called me to ask me if I'd taken the kids out trick or treating.

"I told him that I had and he said 'where's my pictures then?'

"I sent them after I'd spoken to him. I made the kids get back in their Halloween outfits to take photos and send to dad and I'm so glad that I did that."

Orpington bus crash (Nigel Howard)

One eye-witness described the scene as “carnage like nothing I've ever seen before.”

He added: “There were all sorts of injuries, from cuts and grazes to people who couldn't move because of broken bones."

Ten ambulance crews from London Ambulance Service and officers from London Fire Brigade helped rescue and treat the casualties.

A crane removed the two buses from the road on Friday morning.

Anyone with information can call the incident room number on 020 8285 1574 or police on 101 quoting CAD 9509/31OCT or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 and at crimestoppers-uk.org.

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