Friends line streets to say last farewell

Jun 7 2008 by Jule Wilson, The Journal

A PINK theme dominated the funeral yesterday of a tragic schoolgirl killed when she was struck by a police car.

Hayley Adamson, 16, was killed as she stepped into Denton Road in the Scotswood area of the city last month, close to where her sister Sarah lived.

Tearful friends and family members lined the streets near Hayley’s home in Cedar Road in Fenham, which she shared with her mum Pat.

Dozens of cars formed a cortege for the short drive from the teenager’s home to West Road Cemetery.

In the procession were two low-loading lorries filled with floral tributes, including a pink Playboy Bunny – in honour of Hayley’s favourite logo.

Many of the women attending the service at West Road Crematorium wore pink and the door handles of the five funeral cars were tied with bright pink ribbons.

The funeral cortege left the dead girl’s family home half an hour before the service and made its way slowly to the cemetery via Scotswood. Traffic wardens were on duty to make sure the cortege passed unhindered through the West End.

The schoolgirl died the night before she was due to sit her English GCSE exam.

She was crossing the road with friends at around 11.30pm on May 19 in a 30mph stretch of Denton Road when she was hit by a marked police car driven by an officer who was said to be trying to trace a stolen vehicle.

Just two weeks before she died, Hayley was a bridesmaid at her elder sister Sarah’s wedding.

The police officer who was driving the car that killed Newcastle teenager Hayley Adamson has been suspended, it was revealed yesterday.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission launched an investigation into the collision following her death. IPCC investigators continue to appeal for witnesses to come forward.