Tadcaster minibus crash inquest opens into student’s death

An inquest has been opened into the death of a sixth-form student who was killed when a minibus and a car crashed in North Yorkshire.

Eleanor Hague, known as Ellie, 16, died when the minibus she was in collided with a Hyundai i10 on Toulston Lane, close to Tadcaster Grammar School, on 1 December.

The inquest at North Yorkshire Coroner’s Court in Northallerton heard Ellie, who was a student at the school, was pronounced dead at the scene, having suffered injuries to her torso.

Senior coroner Jonathan Heath opened and adjourned the inquest on Tuesday ahead of a full inquest to be held at a later date.

Following her death, Ellie, from Sherburn in Elmet, was described by the school as a “lovely, bubbly young person” who “brought a lightness to the lessons she was in”.

North Yorkshire Police previously said the minibus was carrying nine passengers from Tadcaster Grammar School and Sherburn High School aged 16 to 18.

The force said that one other teenage girl was seriously injured in the collision, but had since been released from hospital.

The other passengers and the man driving the minibus were treated in hospital for minor injuries.

The driver of the Hyundai car, a 40-year-old woman from Leeds, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving and later released on bail.