Parents pay tribute to daughter who ‘loved’ her new life in north-east
Call for lower speed limit after death of schoolgirl
Published:
The grieving parents of a teenager who died after being knocked down by a car after getting off a school bus have called for a new speed limit on the road where the accident happened.
Robyn Oldham’s mother and father paid tribute to their daughter last night, saying she had “loved” her new life in the north-east after the family’s move from Blackpool just three weeks ago.
Derrick and Carla Oldham said the 15-year-old had settled in well and quickly made friends.
Mrs Oldham said: “We came here to get away from Blackpool for a quieter life and what’s happened just doesn’t seem real.”
Their daughter, one of a family of six, was seriously injured on Thursday afternoon after stepping off a school bus taking her home from Turriff Academy.
She was struck by a Mercedes car on the A947 Turriff-Aberdeen road near her home at Birkenhills Farm, two miles south of Turriff.
Paramedics treated her at the scene and she was airlifted to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, where she died.
Pupils on the bus watched in horror as the emergency services battled to save their friend’s life.
Mrs Oldham, who was not at home at the time, said: “We don’t know exactly what happened and the police are still carrying out investigations.”
The accident raised fresh questions about school bus safety and highlighted the work of the Yellow School Bus Commission, a group chaired by MP and former UK Government minister David Blunkett.
Yellow school buses are icons of safety in America and the commission is studying potential benefits in Britain of similar home-to-school transport.
A spokeswoman said: “One element of the yellow bus scheme which might have made a difference is the safety training delivered to both drivers and pupils.”
Mrs Oldham said she and her husband had been shocked at traffic speeds on the stretch of the A947 at Birkenhills, where there is a 60mph limit.
She said: “Since Tuesday this week, we have seen four accidents along this stretch of road.”
Mr Oldham, an unemployed driver, said: “We might try and get together with other people in the area to see about getting the speed limit down here.”
He praised the emergency and medical services and air ambulance staff for their work on Thursday.
Charlie McIntosh, 64, was the bus driver taking Robyn home from school.
He had to get back on the bus to calm down the rest of the children, who were hysterical.
Floral tributes were laid at the scene of the accident yesterday.
Aberdeenshire Council said yesterday that everyone at Turriff Academy was shocked. A spokesman said: The school will be offering support and counselling to pupils.”
First Minister Alex Salmond, who is the local MP and MSP, expressed his condolences.
He said: “Any assessment of the causes will have to await a proper investigation of the accident.”
