1952 Tower Bridge bus jump incident

1952 road incident in the United Kingdom bio Albert Gunter May 2026 thumb|Gunter in 1953 On 30 December 1952, the British bus driver Albert Edward Gunter (28 February 1906 – 2 February 1968) jumped the Tower Bridge in his double decker bus.Bell Bethan 30 December 2024 The man who 'jumped' a double-decker bus over Tower Bridge's gap https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn7m8dmkglxo 31 May 2025 BBC News en-GB Background Albert Edward Gunter was born in St Luke Middlesex, the son of Robert Henry Gunter and Priscilla Elizabeth.Albert Edward Gunter - Ancestry® https://www.ancestry.co.uk/genealogy/records/albert-edward-gunter-24-dplddt 2025-02-21 www.ancestry.co.uk en-GB He served in the British Army as a tank driver during World War II.https://www.hagerty.co.uk/articles/the-day-a-double-decker-bus-jumped-tower-bridge/ The day a double-decker bus jumped Tower Bridge Hagerty Brendan McAleer 15 August 2023 9 May 2026 Incident On 30 December 1952, Gunter was on his normal bus route in a number 78 double-decker bus only a couple of weeks after the Great Smog of London had brought London to a standstill. As Gunter approached Tower Bridge at a speed of 12 mph (19 kph), the light at the beginning of the bridge was green, the warning bell was not ringing, and the bridge gates were not closed, falsely indicating that it was safe to cross. As a result, the bus continued onto the bridge, approaching the edge of the south bascule as it started to rise. At this point, Gunter made a split-second decision to accelerate the 7.5-ton (7,500 kg) double-decker bus over the 6 ft (1.8 m) gap instead of slowing down and potentially tumbling backwards. He managed to clear the gap and land on the north bascule which had not yet started to rise. While there were no fatalities as a result of the jump, there was one major injury (the conductor broke his leg) and twelve minor injuries. The bus suspension was broken.The TIME Vault: January 12, 1953 https://time.com/vault/issue/1953-01-12/page/31/ 2025-02-24 TIME.com Aftermath Gunter was given a reward of £10 (£252.83 as of February 2026)Inflation calculator https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/monetary-policy/inflation/inflation-calculator 2025-02-24 www.bankofengland.co.uk en and a day off work for his bravery. When asked what he would do with the bonus, he said, "five for me and five for the missus". The day a London bus jumped Tower Bridge to avoid disaster https://metro.co.uk/2024/12/25/day-a-london-bus-jumped-tower-bridge-avoid-disaster-22251657/ Metro 25 December 2024 Courtney-Guy Sam 30 December 2024 Gunter was later quoted saying, "I'd always wanted to jump the bus over the gap! And I got a day off and a tenner for it, to boot!" Gunter died on 2 February 1968 in Islington, at the age of 61.https://www.deceasedonline.com/dec_detail.php?id=1505994 Cremation Register summary Deceased Online 9 May 2026 References Category:1906 births Category:1968 deaths Category:Bus drivers Category:People from the London Borough of Islington