FRIENDS of Liberty Baker gathered last night in Witney to release 50 balloons in memory of the schoolgirl who was killed on Monday morning.
A pupil at The Henry Box School, Liberty, 14, died when she was struck by a blue Citroen car which mounted the pavement in Curbridge Road at around 8am as she walked to school.
Friends released the balloons at Witney Hub youth centre, Witan Way at 7pm yesterday when they would normally be attending a club session.
Fancy dress shop The Laughing Stock provided the balloons and helium for half the normal price.
Over £3,700 has been donated to a fund set up by Liberty’s friends on the donation site Go Fund Me.
The initial target of £600 to buy a memorial bench was passed within five hours and the organisers say the extra money raised will be donated to the Baker family.
Liberty Baker
Timpson of Witney also made a commemorative plaque for the youth club. Friend and youth club member Nicole Smith said: “I found out about what happened to Liberty a couple of hours afterwards and I decided to go into town the next day and ask businesses to contribute to a memorial.
““I thought a plaque was the best type of memorial to have because it will last forever.”
A Facebook page petitioning for a memorial at The Henry Box School has attracted over 5,800 likes.
Wendy Hemmingsley, headteacher at the school, said: “We are aware of messages via social media. We will be liaising with Liberty’s family in due course concerning a fitting memorial for Liberty at The Henry Box School in the autumn term.”
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