Family's tribute to sled crash girl

Feb 4 2009

The family of a gifted student who died after she crashed through a barbed wire fence on a makeshift metal sledge spoke of their devastation and described her as "a beautiful, witty, intelligent and popular young woman with everything to live for".

Francesca Anobile, 16, who hoped to study at Oxford or Cambridge, was fatally injured as she and four other teenage girls enjoyed an afternoon sledging in Rother Valley Country Park in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, on Tuesday.

In a statement released through South Yorkshire Police, the family said: "She was set for an outstanding academic career and had an unbelievable work ethic."

The girls went through a fence containing barbed wire before hitting another fence, which stopped them from falling into a river.

Francesca, from Sheffield, was airlifted to the city's Northern General Hospital with suspected serious head injuries where she died at 6pm.

Her best friend Laura Simpson, who watched the horror of the crash as it unfolded, described Francesca as "amazing".

And her former head teacher at Westfield Sports College, Sothall, Sheffield, where Francesca passed 15 GCSEs, paid tribute to the talented student.

Sue Simmons said Francesca was "gifted and talented" and got 15 GCSEs at Grade A or A* and was hoping for a place at either Oxford or Cambridge University.

At the scene of the accident, eyewitness Julian McKay described how the girl hurtled down the slope at high speed and sliced through the mesh fence as if it was not there, causing terrible injuries.

Mr McKay, who was laying flowers at the scene, said the car roof on which the teenagers were travelling continued down the slope until it hit a wooden fence at the very bottom - 300 metres from the top of the hill. Asked if he thought there should have been more safety arrangements, he said: "It's a very popular place to come and sledge and there's never been any problems. It was a tragic accident."