Girl, 14, killed in minibus crash on school field trip

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.

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

An ambulance spokesman said the dead 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".

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

The bus was also carrying four adults - the driver and three teachers, a force spokesman said.

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

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."

Machine worker Stephen Jones, 38, who works nearby, said: "I heard a big bang at 9am this morning - a massive bang.

"I came over and had a look and the police were here with the sirens and they'd shut it all.

"I saw the coroner's ambulance and I heard a girl had passed away."

He added: "There are a lot of accidents here all the time, it's a busy road."