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• Teacher killed and girl, 13, left fighting for her life in France
• Tributes flood in for Peter Rippington, from Alveston
• Check ordered of the coach's tachograph to see if driver had taken enough breaks
  
• Coach struck motorway safety barrier before rolling into ditch
• Prosecutor said injuries driver Derek Thompson suffered suggest he 'fell asleep at the wheel'
• The 47-year-old will appear in Chalons-en-Champagne court today
  

By Peter Allen

Last updated at 1:21 PM on 20th February 2012

Tragic: Peter Rippington pictured with his wife, Sharon. She was also injured in the crash which claimed his life in northern France

A British driver was today facing charges of manslaughter after a fatal coach crash that killed a teacher and left a schoolgirl fighting for her life in northern France.

Derek Thompson, 47, is suspected of falling asleep at the wheel as he drove a party of Worcestershire school pupils home from a skiing holiday.

He will appear before an examining judge today after prosecutors ordered an investigation of the coach's tachograph to see if he had complied with EU safe driving hours regulations.

It came as 11 people remained in hospital after the Sunday's accident on the A26 motorway, near Chalons-en-Champagne, 90 miles east of Paris, which claimed the life of Peter Rippington, 59.

Mr Rippington, a hugely popular Maths teacher, had been in charge of a party from Alvechurch Church of England Middle School.

Christian de Rocquigny, the Chalons prosecutor, said Thompson had been treated for minor injuries and now faced charges of 'manslaughter and involuntary causing injuries'.

Mr De Rocquigny confirmed that his 'initial enquiries' suggested that the driver had 'fallen asleep at the wheel.'

He said it had been raining heavily at the time of the accident, and that the coach had been seen by other drivers 'swerving slowly to the right and into a crash barrier' before flipping over and ending up in a ditch.

Police said Mr Thompson had tested negative for drugs and alcohol.

Mr Rippington's wife, Sharon, and their daughter, Amy, 24, were among 27 injured, four of them seriously.

Also badly hurt was Suzie Warner, a 13-year-old girl who was airlifted to Paris after falling into a coma. Today, a spokesman for the Necker Children's Hosptial, where she had been in intensive care, said Suzie had undergone surgery and was now ‘stable'.

The group of 29 pupils and 19 adults had been travelling 440 miles from their annual half-term ski holiday in Valle d'Aosta, Italy, to Calais.

Investigation: French gendarmes inspect the damaged bus which crashed while carrying 47 British people

Children look at tributes as they return to Alvechurch Middle School in Worcestershire today

All had been on board two coaches, one carrying girls and the other boys. The girls' coach was the one that crashed.

Passengers from a third coach, not believed to be connected to the school but also travelling on the so-called 'autoroute des Anglais', helped pull children from the wreckage and alerted the emergency services.

The group were on a nine day holiday organised by British company Interski, which specialises in school trips. It had chartered the vehicle from Solus Coaches, based in Tamworth, Staffordshire, and the vehicle was said to be fully equipped with seatbelts and safety equipment.

A school in shock: West Mercia Police officers watch over the children as lessons start up again

The school's chairman of governors Bryan Maybee (right) accompanied by The Rector of Alvechurch, the Reverend David Martin (left) read a statement on the death of Mr Rippington

The children were accompanied by 13 teachers and six instructors from Interski, and there were two coach drivers.

Mr Rippington had planned to retire in April after a 30-year career, and the the ski holiday was set to be his last major school trip.

Mr Rippington's wife was still in hospital in Reims today, with a hospital spokesman saying she was conscious and aware of her husband's death.

A pile of tributes have been left outside the school, including this one from a pupil

Pupils and parents released a Chinese lantern outside the school in memory of Mr Rippington

Candles and flowers were left out last night in tribute to the much-loved teacher Mr Rippington

The children were devastated when Mr Rippington announced his retirement

A statement from the Rippington family said: 'We, as a family, are devastated at the tragic loss of Peter, a wonderful husband, father, son, brother, son-in-law, brother-in-law, uncle, friend and teacher.

'We are still extremely concerned about the health of his wife Sharon, who was injured and is still recovering in hospital in France.

'Sharon is accompanied by her daughter Amy, who escaped the incident with minor injuries.'

Britain's ambassador to France, Sir Peter Ricketts, met some of the group and said Britain was working closely with the French authorities.

Bryan Maybee, chairman of governors of Alvechurch Middle School, said in a statement read outside the school that he was a 'dedicated and inspirational teacher'.

'He will be so sadly missed by all those who knew him,' he said.

Mr Maybee said: 'Our condolences and thoughts at this time are for everyone affected by this tragic accident.'

After confirming that staff and children who were well enough to travel arrived back from France last night, the chair of governors added: 'We continue to wish for the swift recovery and safe return of those who are currently being treated for injuries abroad.

'The school is open today and I can reassure you that specialist support is in place for children and staff.

'The headteacher's focus at this time, as I am sure you will understand, is being available to all who need her within the school.

'She joins me in praising Peter Rippington for all he has done for the school and local community over the years and her thoughts, as are mine, are with his family at this tragic time.'

Terrified pupils from the school told how they were jolted awake to find their coach 'airborne' after it apparently careered across the road, hit a crash barrier and overturned down a steep embankment.

Police believe Mr Rippington was thrown out.

Candles are lit in St Lawrence Parish Church, in Alvechurch, Worcestershire, in memory of Mr Rippington

Mr Rippington was described as an 'inspirational' teacher the children affectionately called 'Mr Rip'

Firefighters stand near the damaged bus which crashed in Fagnieres, near Chalons-en-Champagne

Tributes: Youngsters carry a floral tribute to lay outside Alvechurch School. Right, grieving local people embrace outside the school as they struggle to come to terms with the tragic news

Grief: Mourning students leave a floral tribute to their teacher Peter Rippington outside the school

Shock: Another mourner leaves flowers outside the school

'I felt sick when I found out': Heather Abrahall, 17, sister of Isobel Abrahall, who was on the coach when it crashed, stands weeping outside the school. Right, the poignant note left in tribute by pupils

Police officers were on duty at all three entrances to the middle school as pupils arrived at the site today, which is also home to Crown Meadow First School and Alvechurch Library.

Many of those entering the campus paused to read notes of sympathy attached to dozens of bunches of flowers in memory of Mr Rippington left around a flagpole inside the school grounds.
A photograph of the teacher with his wife Sharon had also been placed near the tributes.

Past and present pupils paid tribute to the 'inspirational' teacher they affectionately called 'Mr Rip'.

Poignantly, he had told pupils he planned to retire in April after a 30-year career and that the ski holiday would be his last major school trip.

Toppled: A picture taken through the coach's shattered windscreen shows the scene of horror inside the vehicle which careered off the motorway in northern France

Horror: A rescue worker at the scene of the crash involving 47 British holidaymakers yesterday morning in Fagnieres, north-east France, near Chalons-en-Champagne

Crash: The coach struck a motorway barrier before rolling into a ditch at about 3am yesterday morning. Four ambulance crews and 100 firefighters attended

The group of 29 pupils and 19 adults were travelling 440 miles from their annual half-term ski holiday in Valle d'Aosta, Italy, to Calais. Their coach was on the A26, nicknamed the 'autoroute des Anglais', 90 miles east of Paris, when the accident happened.

Passengers from a second coach, not believed to be connected to the school, helped pull children from the wreckage and alerted the emergency services.

Suzie Warner's brother Joseph, 16, sent out a series of heart-rending Twitter messages asking people to pray for his 'beautiful sister'.

Health workers said one 12-year-old girl had broken her shoulder and others were treated for fractures, cuts from broken glass and shock.

Emergency response: A member of the rescue team carries a frightened teenage victim to safety in the early hours of this morning following the horror crash

Fear: Another youngster is carried to safety. Pictured behind is the school party's second coach, which was following on behind the bus which crashed

Rescue: Firefighters take an injured crash victim into a medical centre

Mr Rippington was described as a 'one of a kind teacher' by his pupils, who gathered at the school in shock.

Kate Vanderplank, who has two sons who were taught by him, said: 'He was a fantastic teacher, really special. He was great not just within the school but in the community as well.'

The 43-year-old, who said the teacher had been at the school for 'many years' added: 'The boys wanted to bring some flowers, they were both in shock.'

Flowers were left outside the school where children will be offered counselling today, while pupils left an apple with a tribute attached.

Injuries: At least one teenage victim is said to be in a 'critical condition'

A French gendarme carries children's possessions away from the stricken coach

Ditch: Firefighters stand the scene of the crash, which is lit from the floodlights of a fire engine

It read: 'Dear Mr Rip, you will be truly missed. You were a one of a kind teacher and you can never be replaced. You were funny and kind and always made everyone's day.

'We will love and miss you forever and always.'

Alvechurch Middle School caters for pupils aged between nine and 13 but several former pupils were also included in the trip.

Nightmare: French police are set to arrest the coach's driver, amid suspicions that he fell asleep at the wheel

Mangled: A close up photograph of the other side of the bus reveals the damage sustained in the accident

Investigation: The bus appears undamaged from one side as a gendarme inspects the vehicle after it was retrieved from the scene

Clues: French gendarmes inspect the damaged bus. A local police spokesman, said they believed the driver fell asleep at the wheel

Protection: Gendarmes stand in front of the leisure centre in Saint Gibrien where survivors of the bus crash with the least serious injuries are being looked after

The bus struck a safety barrier and rolled into a ditch as it travelled on the A26 motorway, near the town of Chalons-en-Champagne, 90 miles east of Paris

Condolences: Superintendent Steve Cullen of West Mercia Police and Liz Eyre, Worcestershire Council's Lead Member for children Services, reading a statement outside Alvechurch School

VIDEO: Statements from Supt Steve Cullan and Cllr Liz Eyre