By Tan Parsons A SCHOOLGIRL was left with serious injuries after being struck by a truck at an accident blackspot in Temple Fortune. Wiktoria Fabianowicz, 11, was knocked down at the junction of Finchley Road and Alyth Gardens at 7.30am last Friday. The a

By Tan Parsons

A SCHOOLGIRL was left with serious injuries after being struck by a truck at an accident blackspot in Temple Fortune.

Wiktoria Fabianowicz, 11, was knocked down at the junction of Finchley Road and Alyth Gardens at 7.30am last Friday. The accident scene, close to her home, is where a young woman was killed in the road a year ago.

An air ambulance flew Wiktoria to the Royal London Hospital, where she remains fighting for her life. She is a pupil at Bishop Douglass School in East Finchley and is a member of the Polish community.

Angela Murphy, her headteacher, said: "The school was devastated to learn of the tragic accident on Friday. Wiktoria is a Year Seven pupil and she has been here since September. We as a school are praying for her recovery.

"The injuries are serious and I know the staff at the hospital are working extremely hard for her. We don't know yet the full extent of her injuries. At this awful time our thoughts go especially to her mother and her little sister."

The school has a significant number of Polish pupils and on Sunday members of staff, parents and pupils travelled from across London to a special mass held at the Church of St Philip the Apostle in Gravel Hill.

"We also held a mass at the school on Friday morning," said Ms Murphy. "We have visited her in hospital and at the moment we are just praying for her recovery."

In April last year, 26-year-old Emma McDonald from Dingwall Gardens died after being hit by a motorbike on exactly the same stretch of road.

Matthew Lawson, 36 who lives in Alyth Gardens just yards from where the accident happened last week, said: "I didn't see or hear it but I was at the scene about 10 seconds afterwards.

"I called the ambulance. It was absolutely horrendous. As a community we are completely shocked and our thoughts are with the little girl and her family."

He is now calling for the reinstatement of a zebra crossing which was taken out in 2004 and for extra measures to enforce the speed limit.

"In recent years the traffic has become faster in the road. All of us feel nervous walking our children to school," he said.

"I've got two young children and I go the long route to avoid the Finchley Road altogether."

Amir Aly owns the Fresh organic restaurant in Finchley Road opposite the scene of the accident and he says there should be greater measures to protect pedestrians.

"It's a real danger area. People are always crossing over from that side of the road to the shops over here," he said. "People need to slow down - maybe there should be a flashing sign to warn people if they are speeding."

Bhasker Thankey, who owns the Westlake Pharmacy next door, said: "Everybody has different ideas about what should be done. Once we know the full outcome of this incident we will consider starting a petition calling for greater safety measures in the road."

Police were called to the accident and questioned the lorry driver but it is believed that no charges have been brought. Wiktoria remains in hospital, unconscious and in serious condition.

tan.parsons@hamhigh.co.uk