Police cordoned off London Road, in Sittingbourne, after the crash

by Stephen Waite

An 11-year-old girl critically injured after being knocked down by a car is the daughter of a man killed in a horror crash, it has emerged.

Amy Pedley, who was due to start at Sittingbourne's Westlands School this week, was hit by a Peugeot 306 on Monday.

She was airlifted to King's College Hospital, London, after the crash in London Road, Sittingbourne, at about 4pm.

She underwent surgery that evening and is being kept in an induced coma until tomorrow to give her body time to recover.

Tragically, Amy's dad Michael Pedley was 37 when he was killed in a collision on the Thanet Way in April 2006.

He was knocked off his motorbike by an 86-year-old woman suffering from dementia, who was driving on the wrong side of the dual carriageway.

First to arrive at Monday's crash were Sittingbourne firefighters.

Amy's mother is believed to have learnt of the accident when a firefighter answered her mobile.

Crew manager Kev Ford said: "We saw the little girl lying in the road. It must have just happened.

"We called the ambulance and started giving first aid."

"she ran down with the girl's six-year-old sister who went in the dentist's so she didn't have to see her sister in the road…” – family friend of amy pedley

A firefighter was sent to find a doctor from a nearby GP surgery and Dr Kay Wilcox helped with Amy before they were joined by ambulance staff, who administered emergency treatment at the roadside.

Screens were put up around her as medics treated her for serious head and hip injuries.

A friend of the family said Amy's mother, Anna, called her daughter's phone because she was late home from being out playing and it was answered by a firefighter.

"The firefighter answered and she was told to get down there," added the friend. "She ran down with the girl's six-year-old sister who went in the dentist's so she didn't have to see her sister in the road."

Kent Air Ambulance was scrambled at about 4.30pm and the helicopter landed near Manor Grove, 15 minutes later.

Amy was airlifted to King's, which has a major trauma centre. Her mother was taken to the hospital by police.

Amy underwent an operation on Monday night, but remained in an induced coma.

Meanwhile, members of the Kent Police serious collision investigation unit were sent to examine the crash scene.

Traffic was diverted off the A2 at Chalkwell Road and Burley Road until the road reopened at 6.45pm.

The police spokesman said the driver of the Peugeot had not been arrested and an investigation was continuing.