Last updated at 16:40, Monday, 30 May 2011

A HEXHAM teenager died in a freak accident during last Monday’s storms, when a falling tree crushed her car.

Emma Newton (18), an upper sixth form student at Queen Elizabeth High School, was driving back from Corbridge, along Corchester Lane, when gales of up to 80 miles an hour blew the tree onto her Renault Clio.
Paramedics worked to save her life while firemen cut her free, but the teenager died at the scene.
The talented actress, singer and dancer had just taken a friend home and was returning for a dance rehearsal at her school when the accident happened.
Her devastated parents, Robbie and Peggy Newton, who run the bar and restaurant within Hexham Mart’s Tynedale Function Suite, paid tribute to their eldest daughter.
She was a beautiful, warm and vibrant young woman, said her father, who was about to take her next step into college life.
“She was just coming to the end of her course at Queen Elizabeth and she was looking forward to her end of year ball,” said Mr Newton.
“She had been offered places in London and Middlesex and had auditions everywhere. She just had to wait for her grades to come through before deciding where to go.
“She was a fantastic dancer – she had such passion. We had just been to see her in We Will Rock You at the school and she had such star quality.”
The couple, who live in Lowgate, just outside of Hexham, also have eight-year-old twin daughters Alicia and Rhiannon.
Mr Newton, who attended Queen Elizabeth High School too, hails from a well-known Hexham family that has been haunted by tragedy.
In 1971 at the age of three, he escaped from a fire at the family home in Hexham that killed two of his brothers.
His eldest brother, Anthony (10), gave his life trying to rescue Robbie’s twin brother, Richard, from the blaze.
Queen Elizabeth High School held a special assembly on Tuesday morning to break the news of Emma’s death to pupils. The popular student was known to many due to the great many dance and theatre productions she took part in.
Bereavement counsellors were present to help her distressed friends.
An awards ceremony designed to celebrate students’ achievements on Wednesday evening was also postponed.
Emma, who gained 11 GCSEs in 2009, was just a fortnight away from completing her musical theatre Btec qualification.
The final element, an end of year dance performance mounted by Year 11, 12 and 13 students – many of them close friends with Emma – scheduled for June 15 will be turned into a celebration of her life and achievements.
Headteacher Neil Morrison paid warm tribute to the outgoing student.
He said: “Students and staff at Queen Elizabeth High School are deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic death of Emma.
“Emma was an extremely popular and outgoing student who had contributed much to the life of the school.
“She was a highly talented dancer who had participated with distinction in many dance performances and drama productions and was looking forward to developing her career in this area. She will be greatly missed.
“The school wishes to express its deepest sympathies to Emma’s family at this most difficult of times and will endeavour to support them in whatever way it can.”
Emma was one of two people who died as a result of Monday’s gale force winds. The other victim was a 36-year-old man driving in Balloch, West Dunbartonshire, whose car was also crushed under a falling tree.
Emma’s funeral will take place on Friday, June 3, at 12.30pm in Hexham Abbey, followed by cremation at Mountsett Crematorium, in Dipton, County Durham.

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First published at 20:23, Monday, 23 May 2011
Published by http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk