Parents' hospital vigil for 14-year-old dancer hit by speeding car

The parents of a gifted teenage dancer fighting for her life after a hit-and-run crash are holding a constant vigil at her hospital bed, distraught relatives said today.

Alessia Boschiazzo, 14, is in a critical condition after being hit by a speeding car as she visited friends. Witnesses told how the impact catapulted her across the road.

The driver of the green Renault Clio, said to be a white man in his twenties, was seen roaring away from the scene after the crash.

Police found his burnt-out vehicle in a nearby street shortly after the accident in Morland Road, Croydon, at about 7pm on Friday. He has not yet been caught.

Alessia - a student at Ursuline High School, Wimbledon, and set to take up a place at the prestigious Brits Academy of Arts in Croydon - was treated at the scene for more than an hour by paramedics. She was taken to hospital suffering from serious head injuries and remains in intensive care. Her parents Aldo and Cecilia were today too upset to speak directly but said in a statement: "Our daughter is a beautiful, happy, active and fun-loving teenager.

"She is a lover of dance, at which she is very talented. We continue to pray for her quick recovery so that she is able to dance and be herself once more. We are asking the public to help the police in any way they can."

Relatives said the couple have not left their daughter's bedside since the accident. Alessia's aunt Fabiola Boschiazzo said: "The doctors are waiting for the pressure on her brain to go down. She is sedated but they have said she may be woken up on Friday.

"We don't know much about what happened yet. All we care about is Alessia. She is our only concern."

Ian Beaton, who works at Classic Automobiles in Morland Road, said CCTV from his garage showed the car swerve in an attempt to avoid the girl. He said: "I heard a noise and looked out of the window. The impact was like an explosion."

Louise Lister, the director of the No Limit Dance and Arts Company, where the teenager trained as a dancer, said: "Alessia is one of the most beautiful and talented girls I have ever met. All the girls at the dance studio have been to visit her in hospital."

Anyone with information should telephone police on 020 8285 1574 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.