RELATIVES of a ten-year-old girl who died in a road accident have today thanked everyone for their flowers and kind wishes.

RELATIVES of a ten-year-old girl who died in a road accident have today thanked everyone for their flowers and kind wishes.

Joanne Dockett was only yards from her home in Byron Road when she was involved in a collision with a car on August 2, which left her with serious head injuries.

As reported in The Evening Star's late edition yesterday, Joanne finally lost her brave fight on Friday evening.

Her mother and father were by her bedside at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridgeshire when she died peacefully.

A funeral at St Mary and St Botolph Church in Whitton will be held in due course.

A friend said the family wanted to thank everyone for their flowers and support.

The youngster had been crossing the road after getting off a bus when she was involved in a collision with a Ford Fiesta.

She was taken to Ipswich Hospital before being airlifted to Addenbrooke's where she died less than a week later.

There are now plans to launch a campaign and petition to improve safety in the street, which has been an issue of concern for those in the area for some time.

Neighbours rushed to her aid before paramedics arrived. Two of those who helped were Michelle Allen, 30, of Byron Road, and Tracey Sinkovits, 40, of Shakespeare Road, who checked Joanne's pulse and held towels to her head to stem the blood.

Miss Allen said: “I had just got home and was in the kitchen when I heard a bang. I came out of my house and went into autopilot. I checked her pulse and we put a dressing gown over her and a towel on her head where I could see she had cut herself.

“I was talking to her, telling her she would be alright, although I did not know if she could hear me. It was terrible, so awful and so, so sad.”

After the crash, Byron Road was closed for several hours while police carried out investigations.

Those who saw the collision are asked to call Pc Paul Carr at Suffolk police on 01473 613500.

Pay your tributes to Joanne Dockett - Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk