Tragic M53 bus crash driver suffered ‘event’ at wheel, inquest hearing told
A driver suffered an ‘event’ and ‘slumped’ at the wheel moments before his school bus crashed on the M53, killing him and a teenage girl, a coroner’s court was told.
Stephen Shrimpton, 40, Jessica Baker, 15, both died when the bus crashed on the northbound slipway of the M53 at around 8am on Friday, September 29. The coach was carrying children from West Kirby Grammar School and Calday Grange Grammar School when it hit the reservation between junction 5 and 4, Wirral.
At an inquest opening in Liverpool today, coroner Andre Rebello said: “Given the extent of the collision, it’s miraculous that there were not more fatalities.”
CCTV footage taken from inside the coach showed driver Mr Shrimpton had suffered ‘an event’ moments before the fatal crash, and ‘slumped to his left side’ as the vehicle veered off the carriageway, the Liverpool Echo reports.[3]
Jessica, who was described as ‘an exceptional young woman’ and ‘an inspiration’, was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics at 9.01am. Her cause of death has not yet been officially registered, but is expected to be severe head injuries.
Mr Shrimpton, a dad-of-two, was also pronounced dead at the scene. The coroner said his cause of death would depend on further medical examinations ‘possibly on the heart’.
Dr Rebello said CCTV footage from inside the coach showed Mr Shrimpton slump to his left while driving the coach, which at the same time left the carriageway and went up an embankment before ending up on its side.
Jessica, from Chester, was a passenger along with around 50 other youngsters on the bus taking her to West Kirby Grammar School where she was a Year 11 pupil.
Mr Rebello said it was ‘miraculous’ no one else was killed as he gave brief details of the incident during the opening and adjourning of the inquests into the deaths of Jessica and Mr Shrimpton at Liverpool Coroner’s Court.
The coroner also said ‘clarity’ was needed from the government around the wearing of seat-belts on coaches and buses.
He said: “At approximately 8.03am the road traffic incident occurred and the coach, travelling north bound, collided with the embankment on the nearside and the coach came down on its side, causing fatal injury, life-changing injury and serious injury and lots of minor injuries.
Jessica Baker (Image: Merseyside Police)
“Given the extent of the collision it is miraculous that there were not more fatalities.”
He added: “The court has been briefed by the road collision unit investigation and the CCTV footage within the coach. It is fairly evident that the driver has suffered an event whereby he is seen to slump to his left side and it is at this time that the vehicle leaves the carriageway.”
He said that he would write to the Secretary of State for Transport, Mark Harper, on the subject of seatbelts on coaches on motorways.
Dr Rebello said: “Anyone travelling in a motorcar over the age of 14 is responsible themselves for wearing a seatbelt. I need to seek clarity with regard to the rules and regulations relating to coaches. As I understand it, coaches built after 2001 are required to have fitted seatbelts and if fitted I understand that seatbelts should be worn, and it’s the responsibility of anyone over the age of 14 to wear such seatbelts.”
The scene of the coach crash on the M53 (Image: PA)
He added: “I intend to write to the Secretary of State for Transport asking for clarity as to seatbelt wearing on school commuter coaches. Buses in town travelling in bus lanes and below 30mph and stopping frequently – the design of such buses are not necessarily suitable for the installation of seatbelts. However coaches travelling over distance particularly on a motorway are a different vehicle and what I don’t know is what steps the Department For Transport has taken with regards to public information awareness.”
A second pre-inquest hearing was listed for March 20, 2024, by which time post-mortem and police reports into the deaths of Jessica and Mr Shrimpton will be completed.
References
- ^ Their promises have been broken… we’ve been let down once again (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
- ^ Driver boasted of ‘big day’ as he filmed himself and took drugs on Mancunian Way – before tragedy struck (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
- ^ the Liverpool Echo reports. (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)