By . Christian Gysin and Alexandra Williams . PUBLISHED: . 03:30 EST, 17 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:16 EST, 25 April 2013 . The doomed driver of the coach which crashed in the French Alps tried desperately to warn his 50 passengers there was a problem moments before the horror smash. Maurice Wrightson, 64, has been praised for his 'remarkable courage' after it was revealed he frantically shouted to passengers: 'There's a problem with the brakes' as he tried to steer them to safety. Mr Wrightson worked for Classic Coaches, based at Annfield Plain, County Durham. A crane hoists the frame of the bus which crashed and burned on the road from l'Alpe d'Huez in the French Alps.The driver was killed, and three people were severely injured . It has been revealed the doomed driver of the coach which crashed in the French Alps tried desperately to warn his 50 passengers there was a problem moments before the horror smash . Frédéric Cuvillier, minister of . transport, said: 'You can’t call it a miracle because there is one dead . and many wounded. But the human toll could have been much heavier. 'The driver’s courage saved many . lives. All the testimonies of the people we have met have confirmed . this. His attitude and his actions prevented an even worse situation.' The driver was killed in the . horrendous smash. Other people were catapulted out of the bus and some . jumped from the moving vehicle. There were 53 people on board, including two drivers. The vehicle apparently suffered brake . failure at the foot of the notorious, twisting descent from the ski . resort of Alpe D’Huez. Eyewitnesses said many of the . passengers – seasonal ski-company employees returning to the UK – flung . themselves from the shattered coach windows as the vehicle rapidly . turned into a ball of fire. Heath Williams, managing director of TGM, the coach firm’s parent company, paid tribute to Mr Wrightson. He told the Northern Echo: 'We are deeply saddened to learn that one of our two drivers on board has died. 'We are offering our full support to his family and our thoughts are with them at this difficult time. Early indications are that our driver tried to take evasive action and that he alerted passengers. 'We pay tribute to him for his efforts, and also to our relief driver who helped people to leave the vehicle.' A ski instructor, Loïc Glénat, was one of the first in the scene. He was making his way down the winding Alpine road after his morning’s work. He said: 'There were three cars ahead of me and then the bus. I kept my distance because the exhaust fumes are smelly. 'So I didn’t see the exact moment when the bus collided mountain. I saw right after ... It started to smoke. ' The identity of the driver has not been released but all travelling on the coach are believed to have been British . The coach careered off a steep . mountain road which has 21 hairpin bends - leading to fears that the . vehicle's brakes may have failed . He quickly set up a road-block and called the emergency services. He said: 'I made the call at 2.40pm. When I approached the bus, I saw young people coming out of the windows, . through the rear window in particular. They had to break it.' The ski instructor, who speaks English, remained on the scene to help with translation. He said: 'I asked them what had . happened. Apparently, between turn 20 and turn 21, the driver told them . that there was a brake problem. Upon impact, they knew ... they were . expecting it.' A journalist from a local newspaper, . who happened to be on was on his way to the resort of Alpe D’Huez, was . also quickly on the scene. He said: 'It looked like a war scene.' The accident happened in the Alpe . d'Huez ski resort - three passengers are understood to be in a serious . condition, while 17 suffered minor injuries . Burnt out: The 51 passengers are understood to be travelling back to the UK after working a ski season for Brighton-based company Skibound which organises trips for schools . He said: 'It was almost 3.30pm. I was . just about to start the climb to Alpe d'Huez when I saw a black plume . tearing into the blue sky. When I arrived, the front of the bus was . already on fire and the flames had moved towards the rear of the . vehicle. 'The bus was against the huge rocks . that extend around the parapet of turn 21, the last of the descent, a . protection which prevented it from tipping over the cliff. There were . people on the scene, no relief, but two young people who seemed totally . shocked. 'I left my car to see if they needed . help. One of the two stammered in English: "There are people inside ... It's horrible. You have water?” It was a young man from Devon, called . Richie - one of the survivors of the bus accident. 'He complained of . hurting his arm when he came out of the pile of metal. His friend, . equally confused, lived in Bristol. The other passengers were recovered . from the wreck and they stood on the road ahead. "We were on the way back," Richie . said. "I was a few rows behind the two drivers when I heard the driver . shout: "There is a problem with the brakes ... "The bus then crashed . into the rocks. A sudden shock and then immediately it caught fire. I do . not know how I got out ... but I think the drivers were stuck," he . said. Three people remain in hospital with . serious injuries. One of them, a woman, was last night  transferred from . the CHU hospital in Grenoble to the Edouard Herriot Hospital in Lyon, . which has a specialist burns unit. It is believed she suffered 80 per . cent burns. According to local reports, the panicked . bus driver shouted to his passengers that there was a problem just . moments before the crash . Failed: A firefighter works on the wreckage of the coach which was carrying two drivers and 51 passengers . Help: A helicopter was seen at the site airlifting passengers to hospital and several passengers were taken for treatment by road . A further 22 people were still in hospital last night being treated for minor injuries. The rest of the group was accommodated for in a hotel in Grenoble, where a psychological unit was set up. Bilingual police officers have been drafted in to interview the passengers. Some of the passengers initially refused to board the bus that was to take them away from the scene. It is expected that many of those uninjured in the crash will be repatriated to the UK today. The bus was carrying seasonnaire staff employed by SkiBound. The employees were returning to the UK. The tragedy is the third to hit the company SkiBound this year. In February a 13-year-old girl died on a school skiing trip in Piemonte, northern Italy.  Poonam Bhattal was involved in an accident on a chairlift. SkiBound organised the trip. And in January a British teenager drowned in a swimming pool after a night out with friends in Alpe D’Huez. Details of those involved in the crash have not yet been released . People were believed to have been trapped inside the vehicle once it caught fire . Lucy Sallis, 19, became trapped under a tarpaulin that partly covered the municipal pool.  Lucy was employed by SkiBound. Alpe D’Huez is the most famous cycle . climb in the world. It has 21 switchbacks and rises over eight miles to a . height of 6100 feet. Each bend is numbered with a board, . starting at bend 21 at the bottom. The hairpin bends are named after the . winners of the stages. Alpe D’Huez is also one of Europe’s . premier ski resorts. With 182 miles of piste and 84 ski lifts, it is one . of the world’s largest resorts. The bus was a Classic Coaches chartered service operated by UK coach operator TGM. The service was on route from Serre Chevalier via Alpe d’Huez to various UK drop off points. Heath Williams, managing director of . TGM, said: 'We are deeply saddened to learn that one of our two drivers . on board has died. We are offering our full support to his family and . our thoughts are with them at this difficult time. He will be sadly . missed by everyone at Classic Coaches. 'A number of passengers have sustained injuries and our thoughts are with them as they recover.' He said: 'It is too early to say what . caused the accident, however, we have launched a full investigation and . are working closely with the local authorities.  Our own safety . specialist is attending the scene to support the investigation.' The two drivers were from the north-east of the UK. The second driver was uninjured. Holiday attraction: Alpe d'Huez is a ski resort particularly popular with Britons .
Maurice Wrightson, 64, worked for Classic Coaches based in County Durham .
Driver has been commended for showing 'remarkable courage'
The 51 passengers are understood have finished working a ski season .
Four people have been seriously injured, and 22 left with minor injuries .
By . Christian Gysin and Alexandra Williams . PUBLISHED: . 03:30 EST, 17 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:16 EST, 25 April 2013 . The doomed driver of the coach which crashed in the French Alps tried desperately to warn his 50 passengers there was a problem moments before the horror smash. Maurice Wrightson, 64, has been praised for his 'remarkable courage' after it was revealed he frantically shouted to passengers: 'There's a problem with the brakes' as he tried to steer them to safety. Mr Wrightson worked for Classic Coaches, based at Annfield Plain, County Durham. A crane hoists the frame of the bus which crashed and burned on the road from l'Alpe d'Huez in the French Alps.The driver was killed, and three people were severely injured . It has been revealed the doomed driver of the coach which crashed in the French Alps tried desperately to warn his 50 passengers there was a problem moments before the horror smash . Frédéric Cuvillier, minister of . transport, said: 'You can’t call it a miracle because there is one dead . and many wounded. But the human toll could have been much heavier. 'The driver’s courage saved many . lives. All the testimonies of the people we have met have confirmed . this. His attitude and his actions prevented an even worse situation.' The driver was killed in the . horrendous smash. Other people were catapulted out of the bus and some . jumped from the moving vehicle. There were 53 people on board, including two drivers. The vehicle apparently suffered brake . failure at the foot of the notorious, twisting descent from the ski . resort of Alpe D’Huez. Eyewitnesses said many of the . passengers – seasonal ski-company employees returning to the UK – flung . themselves from the shattered coach windows as the vehicle rapidly . turned into a ball of fire. Heath Williams, managing director of TGM, the coach firm’s parent company, paid tribute to Mr Wrightson. He told the Northern Echo: 'We are deeply saddened to learn that one of our two drivers on board has died. 'We are offering our full support to his family and our thoughts are with them at this difficult time. Early indications are that our driver tried to take evasive action and that he alerted passengers. 'We pay tribute to him for his efforts, and also to our relief driver who helped people to leave the vehicle.' A ski instructor, Loïc Glénat, was one of the first in the scene. He was making his way down the winding Alpine road after his morning’s work. He said: 'There were three cars ahead of me and then the bus. I kept my distance because the exhaust fumes are smelly. 'So I didn’t see the exact moment when the bus collided mountain. I saw right after ... It started to smoke. ' The identity of the driver has not been released but all travelling on the coach are believed to have been British . The coach careered off a steep . mountain road which has 21 hairpin bends - leading to fears that the . vehicle's brakes may have failed . He quickly set up a road-block and called the emergency services. He said: 'I made the call at 2.40pm. When I approached the bus, I saw young people coming out of the windows, . through the rear window in particular. They had to break it.' The ski instructor, who speaks English, remained on the scene to help with translation. He said: 'I asked them what had . happened. Apparently, between turn 20 and turn 21, the driver told them . that there was a brake problem. Upon impact, they knew ... they were . expecting it.' A journalist from a local newspaper, . who happened to be on was on his way to the resort of Alpe D’Huez, was . also quickly on the scene. He said: 'It looked like a war scene.' The accident happened in the Alpe . d'Huez ski resort - three passengers are understood to be in a serious . condition, while 17 suffered minor injuries . Burnt out: The 51 passengers are understood to be travelling back to the UK after working a ski season for Brighton-based company Skibound which organises trips for schools . He said: 'It was almost 3.30pm. I was . just about to start the climb to Alpe d'Huez when I saw a black plume . tearing into the blue sky. When I arrived, the front of the bus was . already on fire and the flames had moved towards the rear of the . vehicle. 'The bus was against the huge rocks . that extend around the parapet of turn 21, the last of the descent, a . protection which prevented it from tipping over the cliff. There were . people on the scene, no relief, but two young people who seemed totally . shocked. 'I left my car to see if they needed . help. One of the two stammered in English: "There are people inside ... It's horrible. You have water?” It was a young man from Devon, called . Richie - one of the survivors of the bus accident. 'He complained of . hurting his arm when he came out of the pile of metal. His friend, . equally confused, lived in Bristol. The other passengers were recovered . from the wreck and they stood on the road ahead. "We were on the way back," Richie . said. "I was a few rows behind the two drivers when I heard the driver . shout: "There is a problem with the brakes ... "The bus then crashed . into the rocks. A sudden shock and then immediately it caught fire. I do . not know how I got out ... but I think the drivers were stuck," he . said. Three people remain in hospital with . serious injuries. One of them, a woman, was last night transferred from . the CHU hospital in Grenoble to the Edouard Herriot Hospital in Lyon, . which has a specialist burns unit. It is believed she suffered 80 per . cent burns. According to local reports, the panicked . bus driver shouted to his passengers that there was a problem just . moments before the crash . Failed: A firefighter works on the wreckage of the coach which was carrying two drivers and 51 passengers . Help: A helicopter was seen at the site airlifting passengers to hospital and several passengers were taken for treatment by road . A further 22 people were still in hospital last night being treated for minor injuries. The rest of the group was accommodated for in a hotel in Grenoble, where a psychological unit was set up. Bilingual police officers have been drafted in to interview the passengers. Some of the passengers initially refused to board the bus that was to take them away from the scene. It is expected that many of those uninjured in the crash will be repatriated to the UK today. The bus was carrying seasonnaire staff employed by SkiBound. The employees were returning to the UK. The tragedy is the third to hit the company SkiBound this year. In February a 13-year-old girl died on a school skiing trip in Piemonte, northern Italy.  Poonam Bhattal was involved in an accident on a chairlift. SkiBound organised the trip. And in January a British teenager drowned in a swimming pool after a night out with friends in Alpe D’Huez. Details of those involved in the crash have not yet been released . People were believed to have been trapped inside the vehicle once it caught fire . Lucy Sallis, 19, became trapped under a tarpaulin that partly covered the municipal pool.  Lucy was employed by SkiBound. Alpe D’Huez is the most famous cycle . climb in the world. It has 21 switchbacks and rises over eight miles to a . height of 6100 feet. Each bend is numbered with a board, . starting at bend 21 at the bottom. The hairpin bends are named after the . winners of the stages. Alpe D’Huez is also one of Europe’s . premier ski resorts. With 182 miles of piste and 84 ski lifts, it is one . of the world’s largest resorts. The bus was a Classic Coaches chartered service operated by UK coach operator TGM. The service was on route from Serre Chevalier via Alpe d’Huez to various UK drop off points. Heath Williams, managing director of . TGM, said: 'We are deeply saddened to learn that one of our two drivers . on board has died. We are offering our full support to his family and . our thoughts are with them at this difficult time. He will be sadly . missed by everyone at Classic Coaches. 'A number of passengers have sustained injuries and our thoughts are with them as they recover.' He said: 'It is too early to say what . caused the accident, however, we have launched a full investigation and . are working closely with the local authorities.  Our own safety . specialist is attending the scene to support the investigation.' The two drivers were from the north-east of the UK. The second driver was uninjured. Holiday attraction: Alpe d'Huez is a ski resort particularly popular with Britons .
smash. Maurice Wrightson, 64, has been praised for his 'remarkable courage' after it was Classic Coaches, based at Annfield Plain, County condition, while 17 suffered minor injuries . Burnt out: The 51 passengers are understood to be travelling back to the UK after working a ski police officers have been drafted in to interview