A schoolgirl died after she was partially ejected from her school bus that landed on her after the driver suffered an “event” at the wheel and the vehicle overturned on the motorway, a coroner’s court has heard. Jessica Baker, 15, suffered “instantaneous” death from “catastrophic” injuries in the school-run coach crash on the northbound M53 near junction five at Hooton in Wirral on Friday. Stephen Shrimpton, 40, who was also killed in the accident, was driving the coach taking pupils to two local schools, West Kirby grammar school and Calday Grange grammar school. André Rebello, the senior coroner for Liverpool and Wirral, said CCTV footage from inside the coach showed Shrimpton slump to his left while driving the coach, which at the same time left the carriageway and went up an embankment before ending up on its side. Jessica, who was from Chester, was a passenger along with about 50 other children on the bus taking her to West Kirby grammar school, where she was a year 11 pupil. Rebello said it was “miraculous” no one else was killed as he gave brief details of the incident during the opening and adjourning of the inquests into the deaths of Jessica and Shrimpton at Liverpool coroner’s court. The coroner also said “clarity” was needed from the government around the wearing of seatbelts on coaches and buses. Rebello said, although further medical examination results were to come, the most likely cause of death for Jessica would remain a severe head injury. He said: “At approximately 8.03am, the road traffic incident occurred and the coach, travelling northbound, collided with the embankment on the nearside and the coach came down on its side, causing fatal injury, life-changing injury and serious injury and lots of minor injuries. “Given the extent of the collision it is miraculous that there were not more fatalities. “The court has been briefed by the road collision unit investigation and the CCTV footage within the coach. It is fairly evident that the driver has suffered an event whereby he is seen to slump to his left side and it is at this time that the vehicle leaves the carriageway.” Rebello said the exact circumstances of how Jessica was killed would depend on the ongoing police investigation. He said: “However, it would appear she was partially ejected from the vehicle and it appears the vehicle has landed on her causing catastrophic – certainly instantaneous – fatal head injuries.” Rebello said further medical examinations would be needed to establish Shrimpton’s cause of death, with focus on the examination of the condition of his heart. The inquest hearing was told Shrimpton was pronounced dead at the scene at 8.50am and formally identified by his wife, Tania Shrimpton. Jessica was also pronounced dead at the roadside at 9.01am, and identified by her father, Shaun Baker, who is a nurse. Rebello said anyone over the age of 14 was responsible themselves by law for wearing a seat belt. But he said clarity was needed over the rules for coaches. He said: “I am old enough to remember the Tufty Club and the Green Cross Code and the public information films about ‘Clunk-click every trip’. And clearly, because I am now considered very old, I suspect there are generations who have never seen these public information films and may not be fully aware that the chances of severe injury or fatal injury are so much reduced by wearing of a seat belt.” Rebello said he intended to write to the Department for Transport for clarity on the law for seatbelts on school-run buses and coaches. After the crash, four other children were taken to hospital including a 14-year-old boy whose injuries were said to be “life-changing”, according to Merseyside police. Others were handled at an emergency training centre, with 13 children treated for minor injuries before they were released. A full inquest will be heard on 20 March next year.