‘There are no words’ - Thousands raised in memory of three teenagers killed in horror car crash

The fundraiser, which was launched following the deaths of three teenagers in a car crash, smashed its £30,000 target within hours.
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Thousands of pounds have been raised in memory of three teenagers who were killed in a horror crash last week. Harry Purcell, 17, Matilda Seccombe, 16 and Frank Wormald, also 16, all died following the two-vehicle collision on the B4035 near Shipston in Warwickshire on Friday (April 21).

Another 17-year-old, Edward Spencer, is in a stable condition following surgery. The crash happened when a Ford Fiesta, which the teenagers had been travelling in, collided with a Fiat 500.

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A woman and two children, who were in the Fiat, all sustained serious injuries and are in a stable condition in hospital. The teenagers were lower 12 students who attended Chipping Campden High School in Gloucestershire.

A fundraiser created in memory of the three teenagers who died has raised more than £40,000 so far, smashing its £30,000 target within hours of its launch. The GoFundMe page was created by a Chipping Campden High School student to raise money for the West Midlands Air Ambulance service, which attended the scene.

The student, named Alex, said: “Fellow close friends and schoolmates, Gracie, Taylor and myself are running the Oxford Half Marathon on the 15th October to raise money for this amazing service, and help them in saving lives in and around our community in the future.

“Us three teenagers will do everything we can to help this service save as many lives as possible so close communities like ours don’t have to suffer with loss. We hope you can join us in helping out this amazing service.”

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Paying tribute to Harry, Matilda and Frank, principal John Sanderson said: “There are no words that I can find to express the sense of loss that we feel, both as a community and for Harry’s, Tilly’s, and Frank’s families and close friends. Each one of these young people has been part of our extended school family and each loss is felt profoundly.

“In time, I would like to try and find the words to pay tribute to each of the young people we have lost, as each was remarkable and unique, having touched the lives of so many in such profound ways. We continue to hope and pray that [Edward] will make good progress in recovering from his injuries over the coming weeks and months.

Scene of fatal car crash on the B4035 Campden Road near Chipping Campden in The Cotswolds. Scene of fatal car crash on the B4035 Campden Road near Chipping Campden in The Cotswolds.
Scene of fatal car crash on the B4035 Campden Road near Chipping Campden in The Cotswolds.

“Edward and his family are very much in our thoughts. I’m very conscious that we will need to take each day at a time but wanted to express my sincere thanks for the professional and personal help and advice that has been offered to us at school over the last 48 hours.”

Police said they were pursuing a number of lines of inquiry into the cause of the crash and urged witnesses to come forward. "Specialist officers are carrying out a detailed investigation to piece together the circumstances of the collision, and we are working with our partner agencies and the local authority," said Insp Michael Huntley.

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