A Shropshire schoolgirl has been killed after the car she was in collided with a lorry. The 14-year-old was a passenger in the car which crashed on the M4 motorway in Berkshire yesterday morning.

The car driver, a man in his twenties, has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. He has since been released on bail pending further inquiries.

The crash happened on the westbound carriageway, between Junction 13, for Newbury, and Junction 14, for Hungerford, at about 6.20am.

The girl, who is believed to be from the Telford area, was in a blue Vauxhall Zafira which collided with an articulated lorry.

A Shropshire schoolgirl has been killed after the car she was in collided with a lorry. The 14-year-old was a passenger in the car which crashed on the M4 motorway in Berkshire yesterday morning.

The car driver, a man in his twenties, has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. He has since been released on bail pending further inquiries.

The crash happened on the westbound carriageway, between Junction 13, for Newbury, and Junction 14, for Hungerford, at about 6.20am.

The girl, who is believed to be from the Telford area, was in a blue Vauxhall Zafira which collided with an articulated lorry.

It is thought the car went underneath the lorry.

Emergency services, including police, ambulance and firefighters from Newbury, were all sent to the scene and remained at the site for more than five hours.

Ngozi Fakeye, South Central Ambulance Service spokeswoman, said: “We attended the scene with two ambulances, one rapid response vehicle and a responder who was on the scene performing resuscitation.

“The girl suffered head injuries.

“However, despite our best efforts to save her, she was pronounced dead at the scene.”

Nicole Target, spokeswoman for Royal Berkshire Fire Service, said that two fire engines were sent to reports of a car under a lorry, but the girl was already out of the vehicle when crews arrived.

The westbound carriageway was closed between Junctions 13 and 14 until about noon.

Police said investigations into the crash were continuing.

Sergeant James Upton, from Thames Valley Police’s Three Mile Cross Roads policing base, who is dealing with the incident, said: “The family of the 14-year-old girl who died at the scene have been informed.

“We arrested the driver of the car, a man in his twenties, on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.

“He has since been released on bail.”

The coroner for Berkshire, Mr Peter Bedford, has been informed of the girl’s death.

He said a post mortem would probably be opened tomorrow, before an initial inquest was held at a later date.

By Catherine Roche