14-year-old girl dies after minibus carrying school pupils involved in ‘serious’ crash

A 14-year-old girl has died after a minibus carrying school pupils on a field trip collided with a lorry.

The teenager was on a bus carrying 21 students from John Taylor High School in Staffordshire which crashed on the A38 Kingsbury Road in Birmingham at around 9am on Friday.

An ambulance spokesman said the girl “suffered serious injuries in the collision and unfortunately it immediately became apparent that nothing could be done to save her and she was confirmed dead at the scene”.

A second teenage girl was taken to hospital with minor injuries, West Midlands Ambulance Service said.

Several other students were treated at the scene for minor injuries, West Midlands Police said.

Lorry and minibus collide on Kingsbury Road https://t.co/VfeuSBYyhF pic.twitter.com/poe44pYWSy

— West Midlands Ambulance Service (@OFFICIALWMAS) July 7, 2017

The lorry driver was uninjured and, along with the bus driver, is assisting the police investigation.

Birmingham City Council confirmed one of its bin lorries was involved in the crash.

In a statement, it said: “We are deeply saddened by the death of a teenage girl this morning on Kingsbury Road and our thoughts are with her family, friends and all those affected.

“As a city council trade waste vehicle was involved in the incident we will be fully co-operating with all investigations.”

Superintendent Dean Hatton, head of the Central Motorway Police Group, said: “This is a tragic incident which has resulted in the death of a pupil from the John Taylor High School in Barton-under-Needwood.”

The family of the teenage girl has been informed and they are being supported by officers from our family liaison unit.

“We are also in contact with the school and our colleagues at Staffordshire Police, who are understandably devastated as this occurred while their students were on a school trip.”

The school, in Barton-under-Needwood, near Burton-upon-Trent, said in its statement: “Please be aware that a number of our year nine and year 12 students that are on an art trip have been involved in a serious road traffic accident this morning.

“We are working to support those directly affected. Please support us by not ringing into school as this closes our lines. More information will be provided via the school website.”