THE DRIVER of a coach which crashed on the A23 yesterday, bringing huge traffic jams, had to undergo emergency surgery.

Simon Cooper, 27, from London, suffered a broken leg in the smash which brought the county's busiest road to a standstill during the rush hour. The Jetlink airport coach he was driving from Gatwick to Brighton collided with a JCB digger in the slow lane of the southbound carriageway near Hickstead at 7.40am. The digger, owned by Worthing plant hire firm Gamble and Son, careered across the road and crashed through the central reservation. It toppled over, blocking northbound traffic and causing tailbacks of more than six miles, but miraculously missed oncoming traffic. Mr Cooper, who is married and has worked for Jetlink for 18 months, was the most seriously injured of four people hurt in the crash. He was trapped and had to be freed by firefighters with cutting equipment before being rushed to The Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton. Last night, a spokesman said he was in comfortable condition. The JCB driver, 56-year-old Christopher Fitzsimons, from Lower Bevendean, Brighton, was taken to the Princess Royal Hospital, Haywards Heath, suffering from shock. He was discharged after treatment. Afront-seat passenger in the coach, Christopher Lowdell, 27, from Partridge Green, near Horsham, was also taken there with whiplash and cuts. Accident investigators are trying to establish the cause of the crash. They are waiting to interview the coach driver and are checking both the coach, bought less than a year ago, and the JCB for defects. Police are appealing for witnesses to the crash to call them on 01444 451555.

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