Girl, 11, suffers ‘severe’ injuries after being hit by a car and flung ‘halfway across the road’
Her mum has set up a petition calling for a pedestrian crossing and the speed limit to be reduced on the stretch of road in Kent
A SCHOOLGIRL who was thrown in the air after being hit by a car on a busy road is lucky to be alive.
Emma Gardiner, 11, was on her way to catch a bus to school in Densole, Kent, when she was hit with so much force she was 'thrown a considerable distance' halfway across a busy 40mph A-road.
She suffered severe injuries and was rushed to hospital with a broken tibia, bowed fibula, chipped front teeth and cuts across the left side of her body.
Her mum, Kelly Lowe, is calling for speed limits to be lowered.
The 31-year-old said: "There are numerous children as well as adults that use the many bus stops along the Canterbury Road, daily.
"However there are no safe crossings available for anyone to use. The road itself is a 40mph limit.
"However people still treat it as a 60mph. The speed signs are covered by overgrown trees and bushes."
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Kelly, worried for her daughter, who is now scared to be alone, has set up a petition calling for a pedestrian crossing and the speed limit to be reduced on the stretch of road, which is a main route into the city of Canterbury.
The stretch of the A260 Canterbury Road is lined with bus stops and children from villages congregate to catch public transport to all the nearby schools.
Over 600 people have signed the petition so far which means it will be considered by Kent County Council's highways department.
Kelly, who is an insurance claims assessor at Saga, said that the incident had triggered a 'horrendous' situation and had caused Emma to be off school full-time.
She said: "Emma is so vulnerable and she is catching every bug, left, right and centre.
"It is extremely difficult at the moment. She is petrified to be by herself.
"The problem was have is the road is right outside our house and we can hear the cars going past.
"When lorries go past the house shakes because they are doing 60mph, if not more."
A Kent Police spokesperson said: "We received a report of a collision involving a pedestrian and a vehicle in Canterbury Road, Densole at 7.43am on Friday 30 September.
"Officers and South East Coast Ambulance Service attended the scene and the road was closed for a short time. The pedestrian was taken to hospital."
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