A six-year-old girl has died in hospital after the Volkswagen Tiguan she was travelling in collided with a tractor on the B4455 near Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. The girl was taken to hospital with serious head injuries following the crash, which happened at around 5pm on Friday, and died the following morning.
Warwickshire Police said the collision took place on the stretch of road between the turning for Compton Verney and the Five Ways roundabout, near the B4100 Banbury Road. Emergency services were called to the scene after receiving reports of the two-vehicle crash, with the ambulance service and the air ambulance responding alongside police officers.
In a statement, Warwickshire Police said: "Officers attended along with the ambulance service and the air ambulance, who took a six-year-old girl with serious head injuries to hospital. Sadly, she died the following morning and her family is being supported by specially trained officers."
The girl has not been named, and no further details about her family have been shared publicly at this stage. The force has not confirmed the exact relationship between the girl and the driver of the VW Tiguan, nor has it provided information about the driver of the tractor. It is also not known whether the tractor was carrying a passenger or what the speed of either vehicle was at the time of impact.
Serious Head Injuries Prove Fatal
The severity of the child's injuries was immediately apparent to emergency responders, leading to the deployment of the air ambulance. Air ambulance teams are often called to serious road traffic collisions in rural areas because they can transport critically injured patients to major trauma centres faster than a road ambulance. In this case, the girl was taken to hospital but could not survive her injuries.
Despite the medical response, the girl was pronounced dead the following morning. While police have not given a precise time of death, the incident is being treated as a fatal collision, and the family is being offered specialist support by officers trained to deal with bereavement.
The crash happened on a stretch of the B4455 located east of Stratford-upon-Avon, a road that serves both local traffic and agricultural vehicles. The area between Compton Verney and the Five Ways roundabout is primarily rural, with fields and farms along the route. The time of the crash—around 5pm on a Friday—coincided with the start of the weekend rush, when many residents are heading home.
Two Other Children Shaken But Uninjured
Warwickshire Police have confirmed that two other young passengers were in the VW Tiguan at the time of the crash. They were described as "shaken up but uninjured," and the drivers of both the car and the tractor also escaped without any physical injuries.
The fact that the collision resulted in a fatality while all other occupants walked away unhurt is likely to be a key focus of the investigation. Police have not disclosed how many children were in the car altogether, but the statement indicates there were at least three young occupants, including the six-year-old who died. No information has been given about the ages of the other children or their addresses.
No details have been released about the sequence of events leading to the collision, such as which vehicle was travelling in which direction or whether any evasive action was taken before the crash. Investigators will need to piece together the circumstances from physical evidence, witness accounts and any available CCTV or dashcam footage.
Investigation Underway
Warwickshire Police have not yet announced whether any arrests have been made or whether any charges will be brought. The force has also not issued an appeal for witnesses, although it remains unclear whether that will change as the investigation progresses.
The local community has been left to come to terms with the tragedy, with tributes likely to be paid in the coming days. For now, the priority for the authorities is supporting the bereaved family, who are receiving help from specially trained officers. These officers are experienced in helping relatives through the aftermath of a sudden death.
Further updates are expected from Warwickshire Police as the inquiry continues. The road, location, and timeline have all been established, but many questions remain unanswered about how the fatal collision came to occur.
