THE tragic death of a popular Liskeard teenage girl in a road accident has devastated her family and friends.

Seventeen-year-old Hayley Louise Lane, described as a pretty, chatty, outgoing girl with many friends, died at the scene of the accident just after 8am on Saturday, on the A374 between Polbathic and Sheviock.

Streams of visitors have since been laying flowers and poignant messages of sympathy at the roadside. There have also been hundreds of tributes on Facebook.

Hayley was the driver of the Peugeot 106 which left the road and went down a wooded embankment and into the garden of a nearby house. No other vehicle was involved.

The passenger, 20- year-old Lindsay Phillips from near Downderry, was released by firefighters using specialist equipment and airlifted to Derriford Hospital, Plymouth, where she remains in a critical condition.

The scene was attended by fire appliances from Torpoint and Saltash and the rescue tender from Bodmin. The road was closed in both directions throughout the day and police are appealing for witnesses.

Hayley, an apprentice hairdresser at Aruba blu in Bodmin, is the daughter of Trudy Rowe, of Liskeard, and Kevin Lane, of Gunnislake, and stepdaughter of Kevin Stuart. She has a 23-year-old brother Matt Lane, who has described her as 'his beautiful baby sister'.

In a moving tribute, he wrote: 'You will always be with me in my heart and I'm going to miss all our happy moments together. Rest in peace baby girl, love you always and forever, big bro Matt.'

Speaking from her home in Liskeard, Hayley's mum said: 'There is this silence in the house which shouldn't be there. Hayley was the loudest person in it.'

She described her daughter as 'mini Hayley' a bubbly, outgoing girl, standing at only 5ft 1in but said that what she lacked in height she more than made up for with her larger-than-life personality. She said she always knew what she wanted to do in life.

'She was always doing daft and crazy things,' she said. 'I will always picture Hayley with her Pooh Bear which she was given when she was tiny and still took everywhere with her.

'We didn't realise just how many friends she had and how much she was thought of until this happened, and we can't thank everyone enough for all the love and support they are giving us. As a family I can't begin to imagine how we would be coping without it.'

The family said they are also grateful to the emergency services for all their help and to the owners of the property where Hayley's car crashed, for graciously putting up with all the cars parking around their home as people have been visiting the scene to lay flowers.

Among the tributes there is one from Hayley's father which says: 'Thank you for being my sweet young angel. You have been taken from us at such a young age, only 17 years old. You're going to be so so sadly missed by all, words don't start to say how much I miss you already. I will love you forever, sleep tight my little angel, will never stop thinking of you everyday until we meet again, sleep tight darling, Dad.'

Friends have also left hundreds of messages on Hayley's facebook profile, and have been posting pictures of happy times together.

Best friend 17-year-old Abby Smith recalls how she first met Hayley, aged three, at St Martin's Play Group, forging a close bond which lasted right through Liskeard Infant and Junior Schools and on to Liskeard School and Community College. At the infant school, the pair met up with Erin Stevens (17) and the trio had been inseparable ever since. They had all gone to the school prom together in 2010.

Describing her friend as a 'princess', Abby said: 'We are missing Hayley so much. She may not be here anymore but she will be forever in our hearts.'

Erin said that not a day would go by that she would not think of Hayley. 'We will always love and miss her,' she said.

Kara Kirby, mother of Hayley's nieces, Alisha (4) and Amy (3), described Hayley as a wonderful auntie. 'They loved her so much and she was the best auntie anyone could wish for,' she said.

'Hayley was like my little sister and she helped me through a lot and I will never forget that. I will always remember her beautiful smile and I know that she will be making sure that I do everything right for the kids from up there.'

Hayley's employer, Leah Brathwaite, owner of Aruba blu in Bodmin and the Liskeard branch where the teenager had first started out, said the whole team in both salons were heartbroken. 'It is so tragic, she was so young and she will be so missed,' she said. 'Hayley was the best junior I have ever had and her hairdressing trainers Ultra said she was the best apprentice they had had in years. She was so talented and a massive asset to the salon.

'Customers at our Bodmin branch have been bringing in flowers and cards they are so upset.'

Liskeard School and Community College also paid a tribute saying Hayley had been a popular student with a large group of friends.

They said: 'Hayley's aim was to pursue a career in hairdressing, and she worked hard towards achieving this through a BTEC hair and beauty course, a work experience placement, and a part-time job during her last two years in the school. 

'She will be remembered as being a chatty, cheerful and happy-go-lucky pupil, who enjoyed her time in the school and got on well with staff and peers alike.

'Our thoughts are with her family and friends at this sad time.'

Speaking on behalf of the town council and as a friend, cllr Trina Dawe said: 'The tragic and devastating loss of such a beautiful young woman who was one of Liskeard's own, has shown what a close community we can be in times such as this. People's hearts are breaking for all the family.'