Schoolgirl’s family call for end to death rumours
May 24 2008 by Dan Warburton, The Journal
THE family of a schoolgirl killed by a police car last night called for an end to rumours about her death.
Hayley Adamson, 16, from Cedar Road, in Fenham, died when she was hit by a police car just after 11pm on Monday night. She died at the scene of the crash on Denton Road, in the Scotswood area of the city .
There was a hostile reaction in the immediate aftermath of the accident in which police were pelted with bricks, and a full investigation was launched by the Independent Police Complaints Commission.
Last night, Hayley’s family moved to quell the rumours and urged people to wait for the complete results of the investigation.
In a statement released by the IPCC, the family said: “We’ve got so many questions that we want answers to.
“Everyone who knew Hayley is understandably upset and they want answers too.
“But we know there is an ongoing investigation and we would like people to wait for the outcome of that and not spread rumours.”
Hayley was a pupil at Sacred Heart High School in Fenham, Newcastle, and was due to sit her GCSEs earlier this week. Last night, her family paid tribute to the popular teenager and described her as a “beautiful” and “bubbly” person.
They said: “We are absolutely devastated by Hayley’s death and are struggling to come to terms with everything that has happened.
“Our beautiful daughter filled people’s lives with love, fun and laughter. We cannot believe she has been taken from us in such terrible circumstances.
“Hayley was such a happy, bubbly person who was loved by so many people. She cared so much for other people, particularly children, and wanted to get a job in childcare when she had finished her exams.”
Local accounts had claimed the Northumbria Police car struck Hayley while travelling at speed with no headlights or warning sirens.
But initial investigations by the IPCC have shown the vehicle had its headlights turned on at the time of the accident.
In a statement, the IPCC said: “It has not yet been possible to say categorically whether the police vehicle’s emergency warning equipment was activated. Further tests will be carried out. Similarly, further tests are being conducted to ascertain the speed at which the police car was travelling.”
