M40 minibus crash
Encyclopedia
The M40 minibus crash occurred on 18 November 1993, just after midnight. It involved a minibus and a motorway maintenance vehicle. The minibus was transporting 14 children home from a concert at the Royal Albert Hall
in London
, when it veered into the back of the maintenance truck which was parked on the hard shoulder near Warwick
. The driver had driven down to London during the afternoon of the 17th, watched the concert, then driven the children back when the concert had finished.
in Hagley
, near Birmingham
.
The child victims were:
All died at the scene, except Katie Murray and Charlene O'Dowd, who died in hospital in the days following. The two survivors were Holly Caldwell and Bethan O'Doherty.
An inquest
into the crash in June 1994 recorded a verdict of accidental death on each of the victims. The inquest's most significant findings were that the minibus was not fitted with seatbelts, as current British
legislation did not require minibuses or coaches to be fitted with seatbelts at the time. The law has since been changed to make seatbelts standard equipment on all minibuses and coaches, but not to minibuses and coaches built prior to 2001.
d by the authorities, with journalists corralled off from the school, in exchange for being provided with human interest information for their stories. Most national newspapers carried a photograph of two grieving schoolgirls, who were clearly identifiable from the picture. Newspaper readers complained in writing that they considered this to be insensitive and an invasion of the girls' privacy.
carried the story about the minibus crash as its third item, rather than as the lead.
One such charity was the Bramble's Trust, a charity that offers support to bereaved children, which was set up by the two parents, Liz and Steve Fitzgerald, of one of the children (their 13-year-old daughter Claire) who died. By 2002, four years after the charity was founded, it had helped 129 families across Worcestershire
and the Black Country
. The charity was, that year, awarded £75,000 by Children in Need
and £270,000 from the Community Fund. However, in 2005 the charity's bid for funding from the National Lottery was rejected. In 2006, the existence of the charity was threatened by it lacking money.
The school itself contains several memorials to the children who died, including a stained glass window (commissioned from Art of Glass, a stained glass painting company in Solihull
, shortly after the crash) and a music suite (constructed by Thomas Vale, in a new school building that was later built). The stained glass window on the school's stairway measures 14 feet by 3 feet, and includes an inscription listing the dead and a musical score and instruments.
A public memorial was also erected by the district council in Brinton Park, Kidderminster
. Senses Garden was constructed, free of charge, by local builders, landscape architects, and plant experts. A memorial plaque in the garden, a wood carving by local artist Catherine O'Kell, commemorated those who died in the minibus crash. On 20 May 2001 the central carved panel of the memorial plaque was stolen by thieves, who cut through steel bands that had secured the carving to a steel spike fixed to the ground. O'Kell stated that it was irreplaceable because of the age of the wood.
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, when it veered into the back of the maintenance truck which was parked on the hard shoulder near Warwick
Warwick
Warwick is the county town of Warwickshire, England. The town lies upon the River Avon, south of Coventry and just west of Leamington Spa and Whitnash with which it is conjoined. As of the 2001 United Kingdom census, it had a population of 23,350...
. The driver had driven down to London during the afternoon of the 17th, watched the concert, then driven the children back when the concert had finished.
Crash details
The driver of the minibus, 35-year-old teacher Eleanor Fry, and 10 of the children died at the scene of the crash. Two other children died in hospital from their injuries, while the remaining two children who survived the crash recovered from relatively minor injuries. The three men in the rescue truck were unharmed, and pulled many of the minibus's occupants clear of the wreckage. All of the children involved were 12 and 13 year old pupils from Hagley RC High SchoolHagley Rc High School
Hagley Catholic High School is a voluntary aided, mixed 11-18 school in Hagley, Worcestershire. The school holds specialist Arts College status, and was accorded a Grade 2 in its Ofsted report. The school plays host to students studying for Key Stage 3, GCSE, AS and A-level examinations...
in Hagley
Hagley
Hagley is a village and civil parish on the northern boundary of Worcestershire, England, near to the towns of Kidderminster and Stourbridge. The parish had a population of 4,283 in 2001, but the whole village had a population of perhaps 5,600, including the part in Clent parish...
, near Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
.
The child victims were:
- Charlotte Bligh
- Ruth Clark
- Fiona Cook
- Claire Fitzgerald
- Louise Gunn
- James Hickman
- Adele Howell
- Anna Mansell
- Nicola Misiolek
- Katie Murray
- Charlene O'Dowd
- Richard Pagett
All died at the scene, except Katie Murray and Charlene O'Dowd, who died in hospital in the days following. The two survivors were Holly Caldwell and Bethan O'Doherty.
An inquest
Inquest
Inquests in England and Wales are held into sudden and unexplained deaths and also into the circumstances of discovery of a certain class of valuable artefacts known as "treasure trove"...
into the crash in June 1994 recorded a verdict of accidental death on each of the victims. The inquest's most significant findings were that the minibus was not fitted with seatbelts, as current British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
legislation did not require minibuses or coaches to be fitted with seatbelts at the time. The law has since been changed to make seatbelts standard equipment on all minibuses and coaches, but not to minibuses and coaches built prior to 2001.
Aftermath
The day after the crash, journalists were present outside the school, documenting the reaction by staff and pupils. The news media were manageManaging the news
Managing the news refers to acts that are intended to influence the presentation of information within the news media. The expression managing the news is often used in a negative sense. For example, people or organizations that wish to lessen the publicity concerning bad news may choose to release...
d by the authorities, with journalists corralled off from the school, in exchange for being provided with human interest information for their stories. Most national newspapers carried a photograph of two grieving schoolgirls, who were clearly identifiable from the picture. Newspaper readers complained in writing that they considered this to be insensitive and an invasion of the girls' privacy.
Criticism of coverage
Whilst the newspapers were being criticized by their readers for sensationalism and invasion of privacy, the BBC was being criticized by journalists for the opposite. The BBC's evening news programme at the time, the BBC Nine O'Clock NewsBBC Nine O'Clock News
The BBC Nine O'Clock News was the flagship BBC News programme launched on 14 September 1970, which ran until 15 October 2000, when it was controversially moved to BBC News at Ten....
carried the story about the minibus crash as its third item, rather than as the lead.
Consequences
One of the consequences of the crash was the launch of Belt Up School Kids (BUSK), a bus safety training package for both pupils and teachers. It comprised safety training, in-class training for pupils, teachers, parents, voluntary personnel, and governors, and driver training; as well as advice to drivers on how to progress towards Passenger Carrying Vehicle (PCV) driving standards. Several charities were also formed in the wake of the crash.One such charity was the Bramble's Trust, a charity that offers support to bereaved children, which was set up by the two parents, Liz and Steve Fitzgerald, of one of the children (their 13-year-old daughter Claire) who died. By 2002, four years after the charity was founded, it had helped 129 families across Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
and the Black Country
Black Country
The Black Country is a loosely defined area of the English West Midlands conurbation, to the north and west of Birmingham, and to the south and east of Wolverhampton. During the industrial revolution in the 19th century this area had become one of the most intensely industrialised in the nation...
. The charity was, that year, awarded £75,000 by Children in Need
Children in Need
Children in Need is an annual British charity appeal organised by the BBC. Since 1980 it has raised over £500 million. The highlight of the Children in Need appeal is an annual telethon, held in November. A teddy bear named "Pudsey Bear" fronts the campaign, while Terry Wogan is a long...
and £270,000 from the Community Fund. However, in 2005 the charity's bid for funding from the National Lottery was rejected. In 2006, the existence of the charity was threatened by it lacking money.
Memorials
Weeks after the crash itself, The Commitments played at Birmingham Irish Centre to raise money for the memorial fund.The school itself contains several memorials to the children who died, including a stained glass window (commissioned from Art of Glass, a stained glass painting company in Solihull
Solihull
Solihull is a town in the West Midlands of England with a population of 94,753. It is a part of the West Midlands conurbation and is located 9 miles southeast of Birmingham city centre...
, shortly after the crash) and a music suite (constructed by Thomas Vale, in a new school building that was later built). The stained glass window on the school's stairway measures 14 feet by 3 feet, and includes an inscription listing the dead and a musical score and instruments.
A public memorial was also erected by the district council in Brinton Park, Kidderminster
Kidderminster
Kidderminster is a town, in the Wyre Forest district of Worcestershire, England. It is located approximately seventeen miles south-west of Birmingham city centre and approximately fifteen miles north of Worcester city centre. The 2001 census recorded a population of 55,182 in the town...
. Senses Garden was constructed, free of charge, by local builders, landscape architects, and plant experts. A memorial plaque in the garden, a wood carving by local artist Catherine O'Kell, commemorated those who died in the minibus crash. On 20 May 2001 the central carved panel of the memorial plaque was stolen by thieves, who cut through steel bands that had secured the carving to a steel spike fixed to the ground. O'Kell stated that it was irreplaceable because of the age of the wood.