Driver who died after M53 school bus crash ‘was a loving husband and father’

The family of the bus driver who died after a school coach crashed on a motorway have paid tribute to him as a “loving husband and father”.

Stephen Shrimpton, 40, was one of two fatalities after the coach overturned on the northbound M53 near junction five at Hooton, Cheshire, at around 8am on Friday.

A 15-year-old girl, Jessica Baker, also died and her family issued a photograph of her on Friday evening through Merseyside Police as they requested privacy.

The force formally named Mr Shrimpton on Saturday and released a statement from his family which said: “Stephen was a loving husband and father to his wife and his wonderful children, a caring and thoughtful man who would always prioritise others over himself.

“Stephen will be sadly missed by all his friends and family.”

They also requested privacy.

His sister-in-law, Emily Church, set up a GoFundMe page to raise funds for Mr Shrimpton’s funeral and for his family.

She wrote: “He’s sadly left behind my sister who’s now a widow in her early 30s, and unfortunately a single mum along side his much loved two young children who are only eight and four, who are going to grow up without their beloved father.”

It has received over £10,000 in donations, surpassing its target of £6000.

Post-mortem examinations will be carried out next week to establish the causes of death, police said.

A total of 58 people were involved in the incident.

Four children who were taken to hospital – including a 14-year-old boy whose injuries are said to be life-changing – are in stable conditions, according to police.

Others were handled at an emergency training centre, with 13 treated for minor injuries before they were released.

The bus was en route to West Kirby all-girls grammar school and Calday Grange all-boys grammar school, also in West Kirby, Merseyside.

Detective Sergeant Andy Roper, of the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “The thoughts of everyone at Merseyside Police remain with those who were affected by the tragic incident yesterday.

“The families of Stephen and Jessica are being supported by specially trained officers and we are working with both schools and Wirral and Cheshire West councils to ensure the necessary trauma support is in place for the children who were affected.”

The force is appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage from drivers near the incident.

The section of the M53 was closed after the crash on Friday but has since reopened.

Anyone with information about the crash should call the Matrix Serious Collision Investigation Unit on (0151) 777 5747 or SCIU@merseyside.police.uk, or contact @MerPolCC on X (formerly known as Twitter) or Merseyside Police Contact Centre on Facebook quoting reference 23000944471.