Woman quizzed as car hits children

Sep 26 2009

A 40-year-old woman was being questioned by police after a group of schoolchildren were struck by a car on a supervised walk around a village.

Nine youngsters were taken to hospital following the incident near a church in Worlingham, Suffolk.

Three were later released after suffering minor injuries - but emergency services said one was thought to have suffered broken legs and another a broken pelvis.

The children were all aged nine and pupils at Worlingham Middle School - about half a mile from the scene of the accident. The funeral service of a 21-year-old man killed in a road accident was temporarily halted as mourners went to help.

School head Mike Croft said the youngsters were Year 5 pupils on a supervised walk aimed at introducing them to the local area. He said about 20 pupils, accompanied by a woman teacher and female teaching assistant, were walking past the village's All Saints Church on a pavement when the accident happened. Mr Croft said both members of staff were "badly shocked".

"You could not think of anything worse than finding children like that," he said. "It's not a day I want to repeat. You always have policies and plans for things like this but it's not the same when it really happens." He added: "They were just doing exactly what they should have been doing."

A 21-year-old man on his way to the funeral at the church was also hurt, Mr Croft said.

Police said the car involved was a Nissan and a 40-year-old woman was being questioned after being arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving. An ambulance service spokeswoman said four casualties were taken to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital in Norwich. They included the 21-year-old man and three children - two of whom were taken by helicopter.