BRIDIE Crowley today told how she feared her friend had been killed when she was thrown through the air following a car crash as she walked home.The accident, which left 17-year-old Danielle Burgess with a broken left shoulder along with cuts and bruises, happened in Priory Park Road, Ipswich.

BRIDIE Crowley today told how she feared her friend had been killed when she was thrown through the air following a car crash as she walked home.

The accident, which left 17-year-old Danielle Burgess with a broken left shoulder along with cuts and bruises, happened in Priory Park Road, Ipswich.

The elderly driver of the red Toyota involved had to be cut from his vehicle as he had sustained spinal injuries in the collision.

Bridie, 19, of Shackleton Road, was with her one-year-old son Cory Beale, her sister Floella Crowley, 21, her niece Lowyn Marsh, seven, and family friend Hannah Munnings, 16, when the car struck Danielle.

Miss Burgess, the girlfriend of Bridie's brother Thomas, was struck by the passenger-side of the car's bonnet.

Police at the scene believed her head hit the windscreen as she was thrown into the air by the force of the impact leaving her temporarily unconscious.

The back of the car also caught Lowyn who was treated for a bump on her head and cuts and bruises.

Bridie, who was beside Miss Burgess at the time of the accident, said: "I saw a car coming in front of us and as I turned I saw another coming from behind. Before I had time to turn back the car behind us had hit Danielle. I saw it coming but it had hit Danielle before I had time to shout. Danielle was thrown high up in the air like a rag doll. She somersaulted a couple of times as she was thrown diagonally across the road.

"I was screaming, I thought she was dead. She didn't look like Danielle as she had grit all over her face and a lot of swelling. The doctor said she was lucky to be alive."

Bridie said because the road was in darkness the group had been carrying a torch to warn oncoming vehicles they were walking by the roadside.

The collision occurred while they were way home after a meal at the nearby Little Chef restaurant when one of the cars passing was in collision with them around 7pm on Friday.

Bridie said after the crash she jumped in front of another car which she believed was heading for Miss Burgess as she lay unconscious on the ground.

She said: "I just jumped out in front of it screaming at it to stop. It would have gone right over her."

Her mother, Trina Crowley, said: "I'm just glad her shoulder took the impact, not her head. She is like a sister to the family."

The Crowley family said they wanted to thank the passers-by who helped out at the scene.

A Ipswich Hospital spokeswoman today described Miss Burgess' condition as "comfortable".