A 15-year-old schoolgirl and a bus driver have died after a school coach overturned on the M53 in Merseyside. The girl has been named as Jessica Baker. The driver, who has not yet been named, was also killed in the crash, which occurred just after 8am on Friday near junction five at Hooton, Cheshire.
A 14-year-old boy suffered life-changing injuries, and two other children were seriously hurt. Eleven pupils required hospital treatment. A total of 58 people were involved, including 50 children taken to a casualty centre in Wallasey; 39 were discharged, and the rest were taken to hospital.
The coach, operated by Carvers Coaches of Ellesmere Port, was en route to West Kirby all-girls grammar school and Calday Grange all-boys grammar school. It was travelling in convoy with two other school buses. No other vehicles were involved in the incident.
Emergency services declared major incidents, and NHS workers from Unison North West abandoned their strike to assist. Police have deployed family liaison officers to support the bereaved families and are providing trauma support to the schools involved.
