British driver faces charges over fatal school coach crash Mr De Rocquigny confirmed that his "initial enquiries" suggested that the man 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 the driver 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 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 she 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. 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. 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. Britain's ambassador to France, Sir Peter Ricketts, met some of the group and said Britain was working closely with the French authorities. Staff and pupils at the school, where flags were being flown at half mast, were today being offered "specialist support" Bryan Maybee, chair of governors, said: "Our condolences and thoughts at this time are for everyone affected by this tragic accident. We pay tribute to Peter Rippington, such a dedicated and inspirational teacher. He will be so sadly missed by all those who knew him. Mr Maybee said staff and children who were well enough to travel back had returned home late last night. He added: "We continue to wish for the safety, recovery, and safe return of those who are currently being treated for injuries abroad. The school is open and specialist support is in place both for children and for the staff. The Rector of Alvechurch, Reverend David Martin said: "Peter was very much part of the wider community in Alvechurch and was known and liked by many. He gave his whole life to Alvechurch Church of England Middle School and will be sadly missed.