M53 school bus crash latest as police provide update on boy, 14, left seriously injured

A 14-year-old boy seriously injured in the horrific school bus crash that left two dead is still in hospital, police have said today.

Two people died in the crash on the M53 last week when a school bus overturned on the motorway at around 8am on Friday. Tragically, the driver, Stephen Shrimpton, 40, and 15-year-old student Jessica Baker were named as the two people who passed away.

Up to 50 pupils on board the bus were assessed at the scene, emergency services said at the time, with four children taken to hospital. Today, Merseyside Police - who are investigating the crash - said the 14-year-old boy who received 'life-changing' injuries is now in a stable condition, Liverpool Echo reports.[1]

The Calday Grange Grammar School headteacher, Stephen Gray, has said returning pupils faced a “difficult day” in the wake of the tragedy. Mr Gray spoke to BBC One’s Breakfast programme on Monday, outlining the support being offered.

He said: "I was there on Friday at the clearing station where they were taking the casualties and there’s a real sense of togetherness and obviously dealing with the situation and people really were fantastic and stuck together to work through it.

The memorial garden with tributes to Jessica Baker, 15, who died following school bus crash on the M53 The memorial garden with tributes to Jessica Baker, 15, who died following school bus crash on the M53

"So we envisage it being a difficult day, it was a difficult day (on) Friday." He said everybody is “pulling together” in response to the incident, in which 58 people were involved.

Mr Gray said the school is offering support to the pupils injured in the crash. Asked for an update on the condition of a pupil who suffered “very bad injuries”, he said: "I believe, well it’s a difficult situation. I can’t really, you know, go into too much detail on that.

"We’ve heard from the family over the weekend. We sent our best wishes. But it’s very difficult. Obviously, two people have lost their lives sadly. And then obviously, as you were saying there, two students have been been badly injured, one particularly so. It’s very difficult but we’ll be in contact with the family and offer whatever support we can."

References

  1. ^ Liverpool Echo reports. (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
  2. ^ The YouTube and Twitter Covid posts that led to downfall of senior Greater Manchester surgeon (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
  3. ^ The top stories across the M.E.N. (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)