AN 11-year-old schoolgirl has died in a freak accident after being struck by a car wheel that flew off a Land Rover as she made her way to school.

Tragic Amelia Wood had been walking along the pavement to the bus stop when the front wheel of the passing 4x4 broke off and hit her on Tuesday morning.

Emergency services rushed to the scene in Manby, near Louth, Lincs., shortly after 8am after horrified passers-by dialled 999.

Amelia was taken to Nottingham's Queen's Medical Centre by the Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance in a critical condition.

But Lincolnshire Police confirmed yesterday (Thurs) she had tragically lost her fight for life in hospital.

Police Sergeant Dave Mitchell, from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said; "We have spoken to a number of witnesses and will be completing a full investigation.

"If anyone saw the white Land Rover Discovery travelling in Manby on the B1200, Manby Middlegate road, towards Saltfleetby, I would like them to call in if they haven't already."

Martin Brown, Executive Principal of Louth Academy, paid tribute to a "popular, caring and determined" student who was a keen netball player.

He said "Amelia was a well-loved student who will be greatly missed by staff and students at the Academy.

"We are all devastated by such tragic news. She was an active member of our community and was always keen to participate in events.

"Amelia was a keen netball player and represented the Academy in a recent fixture.

"She was a very popular and caring student who always helped and supported her friends.

"Amelia will be remembered at the Academy as a vibrant, passionate and very determined student.

"To support students, we have a counsellor and pastoral staff available who will offer help and guidance in the coming days and weeks, supported where appropriate by specialist professionals.

"At this difficult time, we would like to offer our deepest condolences to her family and all those who loved Amelia."

Simon Clark, head teacher at Grimoldby Primary School, said: "We are of course shocked and saddened by this tragic accident.

"Amelia left our school last summer to go to secondary school.

"She was a wonderful young lady and a well-loved member of our school community.

"Amelia's kindness really shone through, and her peers voted her onto the School Council when she was in Year 6.

"She used this opportunity to support younger pupils and help improve the school any way she could.

"Pupils, friends and staff at the school are naturally devastated. Our thoughts are very much with Amelia's family.

"We will do everything we can to support Amelia's friends and relatives."

Eyewitnesses who saw the tragedy unfold described the incident as "like something out of Final Destination.

The driver of the Land Rover Discovery was said to have been "devastated" and had only bought the vehicle a month earlier.

A spokesperson for East Midlands Ambulance Service said: "We received a call at 8.05am to an incident on Manby Middlegate.

"The caller reported a road traffic collision involving one patient and one vehicle.

"We sent a paramedic responder, a paramedic on a Fast Response Vehicle, an ambulance and the Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire Air Ambulance. One patient was taken to Queens Medical Centre."

A spokeswoman for the air ambulance said: "Our crew was dispatched to a collision in Louth at 8.14am. Our crew arrived on scene in just 11 minutes - a journey that by land would have taken nearly an hour.

"Our crew were required to treat and airlift one patient - a female child, to Queen's Medical Centre Nottingham. They arrived back at base at 12.15pm."