A 15-YEAR-old schoolgirl has been killed after the car she was travelling in plunged 30 feet down an embankment.

Joanne Marie Loris was a rear seat passenger in a Ford Orion travelling towards her Bromyard home when the car veered off the A44 at Linton at around 9.40pm on Tuesday. She died at Hereford Hospital.

A pupil at Queen Elizabeth High School, Joanne was said to be a "vivacious and popular" girl, a member of the school netball team who was happiest when looking after her horses.

She had been exploring a career working with horses and, as she was small, was considering becoming a jockey.

Deputy head Trevor Hayes said: "She had a wide circle of friends, who are devastated by her death.

"Never flustered, Jo described herself as most relaxed in her jeans and t-shirt listening to R and B or Hip Hop music.

"She attended popular music concerts and was knowledgeable about the music scene past and present."

Two young men in the front of the car, who have not been named, were treated for injuries sustained in the accident. The driver remains stable in hospital while the front seat passenger has been discharged.

Police spokesman Georgie Bates said: "I think Bromyard is devastated, absolutely devastated by the whole thing. It's put a big black cloud over the whole town."

Police are appealing for witnesses to the crash, which is not thought to have involved any other vehicles, particularly a woman who made an emergency call at the time. Anyone wishing to pay their respects at the collision scene is asked to do so via the old railway line, accessible from the wood yard by the old railway bridge, and not via the A44 road.

Anyone with information should contact PC Colin Mears on 01432 276422.