An 11-year-old girl will remain in full leg cast until Christmas after suffering severe injuries when she was hit by a car.

Emma Gardiner, a pupil at the Folkestone Academy, was walking towards the bus stop in Nursery Lane, Densole, when the accident happened at about 7.30am on Friday, September 30, on the A260 Canterbury Road.

Her mother, Kelly Lowe, 31, said that she was hit by a car when she was half way across the road, resulting in her “being thrown a considerable distance”.

The road was closed for hours and traffic tailed back into Hawkinge as the emergency services dealt with the incident and took Emma to hospital, where she spent two nights.

She broke her left tibia, bowed her fibula, chipped her front tooth and has lacerations along the left side of her body.

It is not yet known if she will need metal supports in one of her legs and she requires 24-hour care at home, which is also in Canterbury Road.

Ms Lowe has set up a petition in a bid to have a crossing installed and the speed limit reduced on the stretch of road, which is a main route used by people in Folkestone to get to Canterbury.

Ms Lowe said: “There are numerous children as well as adults that use the many bus stops located 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.”

The stretch between Swingfield and Densole is lined with bus stops and children from the villages congregate to catch public transport to all Folkestone schools.

Ms Lowe said: “I beg you to please take this petition seriously and sign.”

The petition has attracted more than 600 signatures and is set to be presented to Kent County Council’s highways department for consideration.

Ms Lowe, 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 we 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.”

To sign the petition, click here.