SIX teenagers with disabilities were lucky to escape serious injury yesterday afternoon when the mini bus they were travelling in rolled off the road near Glanmire.

A 20-year-old P-plater was driving the white Toyota HiAce commuter bus when it left the Great Western Highway before hitting with a small tree.

The bus, which was carrying a number of clients of local respite service Inter-change Bathurst, then rolled two or three times down an embankment.

Police believe the driver, a Bathurst man, lost control of the vehicle shortly after 2pm when he veered into loose gravel on the shoulder of the road.

Chifley local area command duty officer Inspector Mick Aldridge said all occupants were wearing seatbelts at the time of the accident and were lucky to escape with shock and minor cuts and bruises.

The occupants – including six teenagers with disabilities, a 21-year-old female and the driver – were all transported to Bathurst Base Hospital.

“We are still investigating the reasons why this happened,” Inspector Aldridge said from the scene.

“The vehicle was travelling in a westerly direction towards Bathurst when it veered off the left-hand side of the road as it was negotiating a right-hand bend.

“The vehicle has gone onto the shoulder of the road into loose gravel and then collided with a small tree. It rolled two, maybe three, times.

“At this stage, there are no major injuries.

“The occupants were treated for shock and minor cuts and bruises.

“They were taken to Bathurst hospital as a precaution.”

The single-vehicle accident occurred east of Bathurst on a stretch of overtaking lanes. As a result, one lane of the highway was closed to traffic for almost an hour.

Police, ambulance, fire and rescue crews and the Rural Fire Service all attended the scene.

The Western Advocate contacted Interchange Bathurst yesterday afternoon, however staff refused to comment.