Aspiring midwife died in crash after police pursuit when she had already planned her outfit for her 18th birthday party

Published: 08:11, 21 May 2026 | Updated: 08:21, 21 May 2026 An aspiring teenage midwife has died in a crash following a police pursuit in Greater Manchester only weeks before her 18th birthday which she'd already planned her outfit for. Erica De Sousa Correia, 17, passed away after a car she was a passenger in came off Walker Fold Road in Bolton on May 5 before smashing into a tree following a pursuit. Emergency services attended the scene and brought the youngster to hospital after she suffered critical injuries, however, she sadly died in the early hours of Tuesday morning. A 17-year-old boy - who has not been named - has been charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving and has been bailed pending further enquiries.  Images of the horror scene show a badly damaged tree with chipped bark and broken branches and skid marks on the road from the vehicle.  It comes less than two weeks before Erica was due to celebrate her 18th birthday - an event her family say she had already selected an outfit for.  In a statement paying tribute to Erica, her family described her as the 'kindest person'. They said: 'Erica's happiness was contagious. She loved to dance and sing and loved spending time in Portugal with her family. Erica De Sousa Correia (pictured) has died in a crash following a police pursuit in Greater Manchester only weeks before her 18th birthday A 17-year-old boy has been charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving following the teen's death but has been bailed pending further enquiries 'Erica wanted to become a midwife as she loved children and also studied travel and tourism. 'She was incredibly intelligent and studied hard and got good grades in school.' They added: 'Erica was due to celebrate her 18th birthday on the 1 June and was looking forward to having a party to celebrate her special day. Erica even had her outfit planned for her birthday. 'Erica was the kindest person and would call us if she saw a homeless person so we could give money to help. 'Erica was the baby of our very close family. Our family cannot put into words our tragic loss and how much we will miss her. 'Please respect our privacy at this very distressing time.' Greater Manchester Police (GMP) have said they are continuing to support Erica's family.  An investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct is ongoing. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.