Tributes paid to 19-year-old ‘shining star’ Rosa Taylor following fatal Corsham collision

Overview

The devastated family of 19-year-old Rosa Taylor, who tragically died in a road traffic collision in Corsham last week, have described her as a “shining star” and a “beautiful soul who touched everyone she met”.

Rosa, from Upholland, Lancashire, was on her way to a theatre performance on the A4 Bath Road on Thursday, 24 July, when the car she was travelling in collided with a lorry. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

‘She was the very definition of a spirit that shines brightly’

Paying tribute, her father Gareth Taylor said:

“Anyone who knew Rosa would agree that she was the most beautiful person inside and out. She was the very definition of a spirit that shines brightly and dies young, loved by anyone who met her. She was at once the most talented, most beautiful, and most loving soul I’ve ever known.”

Passionate performer

A lifelong lover of the performing arts, Rosa was a lead performer at the Artz Centre in Skelmersdale before studying Musical Theatre at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) Sixth Form College. She had recently been offered a place at the prestigious Trinity Laban Conservatoire in London, where she was due to start in September.

Her performing credits included appearances with the Liverpool Empire Youth Theatre in Legally Blonde: The Musical, and WOW That’s What I Call Musicals at the Liverpool Playhouse. In July 2025, she took to the road as the lead in the Beggars Belief Collective production of SCRUMPTIOUS!, and was travelling to a performance at Corsham Library on the day of the accident.

Loved by children and colleagues

Alongside her studies and stage work, Rosa worked as a professional children’s entertainer with PICK’N’MIX Parties in Liverpool, portraying beloved characters such as Ariana Grande, Jasmine, and Belle. She also worked at Briar’s Hall Hotel in Ormskirk.

Friends and colleagues have described Rosa as “a shining star,” “the greatest friend anyone could have asked for,” and “the most naturally gifted performer you had ever seen”.