12 injured after double decker struck bridge

[Bobjork]

This morning at around 8 in the morning a 4,2 meter high Scania VanHool TD929 Astrobel struck a 3,5 meter bridge at Pilgatan in Västerås, Sweden, after the driver took the wrong exit and tried to find the bus station.
One passenger was stuck and had to be cut loose.
In total 12 passengers were injured.

http://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a/...-manga-skadade

http://www.dn.se/nyheter/sverige/bus...kt-i-vasteras/

[coastie]

I've been trying to look at the badge on the front of the Ambulance (Specifically the one which is next to the front of the casualty) and I'm trying to see what that badge is. I presume it's an Ovlov, but it doesn't look somehow.

[Ian]

Volvo for sure.

[Bobjork]

All three ambulances are of the model "Nilsson V70 / XC70" brand
Nilsson is a company making limousines, hearses and ambulances from Volvos.
Because they are so heavily modified they are classed as a different vehicle and therefore are registered as Nilsson.

http://www.nilsson.se/

Their latest ambulance are built on the new XC90 as the V70/XC70 (which the model was built on) no longer are manufactured.

[coastie]

Many thanks Bobjork, I thought it was something like a coachwork company.

[G-CPTN]

In the 1980s, Danish ambulances were stretched (and raised roof) Volvo estate cars.

https://www.tveast.dk/files/styles/1...929_falck1.jpg

This one is Swedish-registered, but the Danish ones were identical.

Falck was a private organisation that provided 'emergency' services, from vehicle breakdown recovery to fire brigade.

For domestic services (such as lawn-mower repairs and household breakdowns) people had to be members, but emergencies were funded by the state.

[Bobjork]

Originally Posted by G-CPTN

In the 1980s, Danish ambulances were stretched (and raised roof) Volvo estate cars.

https://www.tveast.dk/files/styles/1...929_falck1.jpg

This one is Swedish-registered, but the Danish ones were identical.

Falck was a private organisation that provided 'emergency' services, from vehicle breakdown recovery to fire brigade.

For domestic services (such as lawn-mower repairs and household breakdowns) people had to be members, but emergencies were funded by the state.

That is also a Nilsson (but at that time, as Sweden was not in the EU, they vere registered as Volvo plus model name (that is a Volvo S90 Nilsson).

We have Falck here, operating ambulances and tow trucks. Other parts, like Security are now G4S or whatever they are called this week.

Nilssons in Laholm also built one of the few existing Volvo 165.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fW10GYolBGc

[G-CPTN]

The ones that we had in Denmark in the early 1980s would be 200 or 700 series (I cannot recall which).

I do remember that the Volvo taxis had a (two speed?) automatic transmission - at least they only seemed to change gear at high speed - the sound of the screaming engine until eventually the ratio changed remains planted in my memory.

[Bobjork]

Originally Posted by G-CPTN

The ones that we had in Denmark in the early 1980s would be 200 or 700 series (I cannot recall which).

I do remember that the Volvo taxis had a (two speed?) automatic transmission - at least they only seemed to change gear at high speed - the sound of the screaming engine until eventually the ratio changed remains planted in my memory.

They had at least three gears. My Volvo 164 has a three speed gearbox. You really miss a fourth when driving on the motorway.