Jessica Baker named as 15-year-old girl killed in M53 school bus crash

A 15-year-old girl killed in a school bus crash on the M53 has been named as Jessica Baker.

The driver of the bus also died in Friday morning’s incident but has not yet been publicly identified.

Police said 58 people were involved in the crash on the Wirral – with many assessed at the scene.

Four children were taken to hospital and a 14-year-old boy is said to have life-changing injuries.

Other pupils were taken to an emergency services training centre in Wallasey, with 13 treated for minor injuries and discharged.

Calday Grange all-boys grammar school and West Kirby all-girls grammar school said one of its buses was involved.

Police said children from both schools were on other buses that were travelling in convoy with the one that crashed.

They will all be offered trauma support and family liaison officers are supporting relatives.

It hasn’t yet been confirmed how the crash happened.

Firefighters helped people off the overturned bus and stabilised the vehicle, said Mark Thomas from Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service.

Emergency services declared a major incident due to the risk of multiple serious injuries in the crash – which happened just after 8pm.

“We sent a substantial number of ambulances, senior clinicians and our hazardous area response teams,” said Joanne Clague, director for the North West Ambulance Service.

“A critical care doctor was also dispatched to the scene.”

According to Calday Grange’s website, the W3 bus route starts in the Chester suburb of Bache, making stops in Little Sutton, before joining the M53 on its route to West Kirby.

The bus that crashed is owned by Carvers Coaches in Ellesmere Port.

The M53 remained closed in both directions between junctions 4 and 5 on Friday night as investigations continued.