AN “INCREDIBLY intelligent” teen has died just weeks before her birthday after a police chase ended in a car crash.
Erica De Sousa Correia was the passenger of a car being pursued by officers in Bolton, Greater Manchester, on May 5.
After the vehicle crashed, the 17-year-old was taken to hospital and sadly passed away on Monday.
In a tribute to the teen, Erica’s family said: “Erica’s happiness was contagious. She Loved to dance and sing and loved spending time in Portugal with her family .
“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 .
“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.”
Erica, who was going to turn 18-years-old in three weeks, was the passenger of a car being pursued by police.
The vehicle came off the street on Walker Fold Road and crashed, which left Erica with injuries.
Despite the best efforts of doctors, she died on Tuesday morning, May 19.
Since the crash, police have charged a 17-year-old with causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
He has since been bailed as police continue with their inquiries.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct has also opened an investigation into the incident.
