AN HEROIC driver has been praised for ignoring his own injuries to rescue wounded passengers from the mangled wreckage of his packed coach after it hit a sheet of black ice, twisted onto its side then plunged into a ditch.

Two women fatally injured in the horrific smash were yesterday named as Irene Spencer, 78, and Patricia Pryor, 70, both from Camborne. Last night three people remained in hospital while dozens more were described as "walking wounded".

But while the actions of the as yet-unnamed driver won praise, criticism was unleashed on the local authority for failing to grit the road, a main route to popular Christmas light displays the coach had been returning from.

Cornwall Council yesterday confirmed it spent £1.35 million annually on gritting the county's highways. But with two lives claimed amid horrendous conditions, questions were being asked about whether the council should spend more.

The coach, full of elderly people on a festive treat, hit a sheet of black ice at the foot of a steep hill near to Townshend, between Hayle and Helston.

As the driver struggled to keep control of the huge vehicle careering down a tiny road, it flipped onto its side, glanced off a tree and plummeted roof-down into a 15-feet ditch.

Minutes later, a police car dashing to the scene also fell foul of the glass-like road surface and skidded into the ditch, smashing into the coach's undercarriage while terrified passengers were still on board.

Rescuers who ran to the scene after being alerted by the noise in the quiet rural backwater praised the driver, who kicked open emergency exits and helped passengers to safety despite suffering a head injury.

Jane Moore, who helped walking wounded passengers in the aftermath, said the bus driver managed to steer the vehicle between two trees as it slid on "sheet ice".

"There was no chance he could do anything but crash," said Mrs Moore, who lives near to the crash scene.

"He managed to avoid two huge trees and go through the gap, which saved a lot of them I think. He did fantastically. He was very shaken. There was no way he could have done anything to avoid it. It was sheet ice all the way down. It was like a mirror. We stepped out and nearly went over."

The area is dotted with quaint villages and remote farmhouses and the coach was believed to be en-route to Godolphin, well-known for its pretty display of festive lights.

However, the collision was a clear demonstration of the dreadful conditions in the area where freezing weather had turned the gently undulating roads into a lethal patchwork of frost and black ice.

Shortly after the crash, which occurred at 10.15pm, Cornwall Council spreading lorries began gritting the roads in the area. The authority said it spent £1.35 million a year gritting a 1,400km "priority" network of roads – about a fifth of the county.

According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, every fatal road accident generates massive cost in terms of resources, lost production, health-care, social benefits and in personal pain, grief and suffering.

In the UK, each fatal road collision is estimated to cost around £1.4 million – or more than £16,000 million nationally per year.

The four-year-old coach, owned by well-known Camborne-based firm Williams Travel, was on a popular festive run to see the myriad of Christmas light displays around the area.

Passengers on the £8-a-head trip had already enjoyed an open-air carol service, sherry and mince pies. It is thought many belonged to a Camborne WI group.

The coach, festooned with tinsel and Christmas greetings banners, had left Camborne at 6pm and visited Praze, Leedstown, Angarrack, Newlyn, Mousehole and Penzance.

The manager of the firm, Gary Williams, said he and the driver and passengers were "amazed" the road had not been gritted.

Road conditions which were believed to have caused the crash also hampered rescue efforts.

The remote scene of the incident down an icy dip meant ambulance and fire crews could not get near in their vehicles.

Cornwall Fire and Rescue decanted some of their heavy machinery and cutting equipment into four-wheel-drives.

Meanwhile ambulance crews had to carry equipment such a defibrillators and emergency bags to the scene. As the roads were too icy to remove casualties by land ambulance, search and rescue helicopters were drafted in from nearby RNAS Culdrose and from RNAS Chivenor in North Devon.

Wounded passengers were taken to two nearby farmhouses to be triaged by doctors from the Basics Cornwall scheme, which involves local doctors helping at major emergencies.

Helicopters which had been landing in a nearby field are believed to have flown their last sortie at around 1.30am.

As the coach was yesterday lifted free from the ditch, Supt Tim Swarbrick, of Devon and Cornwall Police, described the incident as "tragic".

He said an investigation was now under way to determine the cause of the incident.

The chief executive of NHS Devon urged people to "consider their options" before calling 999. Rebecca Harriott said people should consider whether it was "absolutely necessary" before calling for an ambulance or attending an emergency department as icy winter weather causes disruption on the roads.

"We want people to think twice before they visit emergency departments or dial 999 as these options are meant to be used for emergencies only," she said. "There are plenty of healthcare options – other than emergency services – and we are asking people to consider these if they don't feel it is an emergency.

"Many community hospitals have minor injury units and these may be an option for some people.

"Minor injury units provide a non-urgent service for a range of conditions including cuts, bruises, broken bones, sprains and minor head injuries (excluding concussion)."

Most GP practices and pharmacies will be open as usual between Christmas and New Year, she added

Full details of NHS services are available in the Yellow Pages or on local NHS websites www.devon pct.nhs.uk and www.cornwalland islesofscilly.nhs.uk