Newbury pupils hailed as heroes following crash near school

Park House sixth formers praised for their maturity

A GROUP of sixth-formers have been hailed heroes after rushing to the aid of a motorist and a van driver involved in a crash outside Newbury’s Park House School.

The two-vehicle collision, which involved the van and a car, took place at around 2.15pm on last Thursday.

The force of the crash pushed the van on to a road crossing, where pupils were about to cross.

Everyone managed to get out safely thanks to the quick-thinking actions of students, who contacted emergency services and helped occupants out of both vehicles.

One pupil called 999 and the other immediately opened the van driver’s door and asked if he was all right.

They then checked on the motorist of the car, who was badly shaken and had disability needs, fetching the driver’s mobility scooter out of the back and assembling it before helping him into it.

One student even steered the car off the road after police had arrived at the scene.

A representative from the van driver’s employer praised students for the “commendable maturity” they displayed.

In an anonymous letter to the school’s headteacher, Derek Peaple, the writer said: “Dear Mr Peaple, a big thank you to two of your sixth form students and their friends who behaved today in a mature, compassionate and exemplary way.”

It concluded: “Luckily, they watched the traffic as well as the lights and didn’t step out to cross in front of the van.”

Mr Peaple said: “I was hugely impressed by and proud of the maturity of our students’ response to the accident which occurred adjacent to the school entrance last Thursday.

“A number were actively involved in supporting those involved, with sixth formers Noah Wood-Recio, James Cross, Matthew Rhodes and Oliver MacDonald in particular being commended for the care and compassion they demonstrated throughout.”

A spokesperson from Thames Valley Police said: “We were contacted by Thames Valley Fire Control Room at 14:39 who informed us of a two-vehicle collision outside Park House School, with the additional information that all the occupants of the cars had got themselves out of their vehicles, but a 71-year-old female was complaining of chest pains.

“We sent an ambulance to the scene and the patient was able to be treated and discharged at the scene by the crew.”