A teenager who was a passenger on board a coach that crashed on the M53, killing a student and the driver, has spoken about the terrifying experience.
The bus crashed and overturned on the motorway in Cheshire on Friday, killing 15-year-old Jessica Baker and driver Stephen Shrimpton.
Shrimpton is believed to have been ‘suffering medical issues’ whilst driving the bus, according to a post from his sister-in-law on a crowdfunding page.
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In all, 58 people were involved in the crash, with four people taken to hospital, one of whom – a 14-year-old boy – is believed to have suffered life-changing injuries.
The bus was carrying students from West Kirby Grammar School and Calday Grange Grammar School.
An anonymous student has since spoken to Sky News, telling the channel that he is ‘happy to be alive’.
We were all just chatting on our phones," he explained.
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"Then all of sudden, nothing seemed real.
“I stood up because I felt something really weird, then all of sudden getting thrown to the side.
“The bus had tipped.”
The bus hit the central reservation and turned over, before the student managed to climb from the bus through the smashed front window.
Upon getting out, he was confronted with a tragic scene.
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He continued: "I looked around and there's just people lying down everywhere. Bags are everywhere,
"There's glass everywhere. And it's just like blood everywhere.
“I've seen both my mates on the floor, but I thought they were dead.
"I looked around again and saw a girl stood next to me.
“I was in shock, I put my hand on my face.
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“I looked back at my hand and it was covered in blood, I remember saying, this can't be my blood."
The student said that he believed that no-one had been killed, therefore Jessica’s death came as a shock.
He described her as a friendly person, and said: "Obviously it could have been me in that position.
"She's basically my age really, it's just a horrible thing to think about."
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The teenager was treated for physical injuries at A&E, but says that he is experiencing flashbacks to the incident, particularly when in a car or when hearing unexpected noises.
However, overall his feeling is of relief.
The student said: "A couple of hours after it had happened, when I was sat upstairs. I'd realised it was crazy, I still don't know how, like, I got up so quick and things like that and I don't know how I wasn't screaming, crying,
"I think I was subconsciously happy to be alive. Happy to be where I am now."
Tom Wood