The mother of a 16-year-old girl killed on a notorious stretch of the A9 Stirling to Perth road has said that her daughter’s death has left a “huge void” in her life.
Elli Williams, a pupil at Morrison’s Academy in Crieff, was hit by several cars on the southbound carriageway of the road near Gleneagles.
It is thought she had become separated from friends as she walked across the A-road at around 10pm on Tuesday.
Elli, the eldest of four children, was a former pupil at the Community School in Auchterarder and worked part time at Indulge restaurant in Auchterarder’s High Street.
Speaking from the family home in Auchterarder, her mum Cara-Lee said: “The whole family is absolutely distraught and devastated.
“As a family we are trying to come to terms with the loss of such a wonderful daughter and sister.
“She will be a huge void in not only my life but that of her dad Paul, her brother Joss and her sisters Ines and Eva.
“We would like to thank everyone for their messages of support at this very sad time.”
Superintendent Tony Beveridge, Deputy Divisional Commander at Tayside Police revealed they had received a good response to a public appeal for information relating to the incident.
He added: “We have had an excellence response from members of the public to appeals for information.
“The enquiry into Elli’s death is still ongoing and we are continuing to piece together her last known movements and establishing why she was on the carriageway.
“News of Elli’s death has had a significant impact on the local community, particularly young people who knew her, some of whom were in her company a short time before the tragic incident took place.
“We are working closely with the local schools and local authority to ensure that the right support mechanisms are in place.
“A police family liaison officer continues to keep Elli’s family up-to-date with our enquiries.”
Perth and Kinross Council’s lifelong learning convener Liz Grant said that the teenager’s death had come as a “great shock” to the area.
Mrs Grant added: “Elli was until recently a pupil at the Community School of Auchterarder and this dreadful news will have come as a great shock to the entire school community.
“We are making sure that, through our educational psychology team and the school chaplain, pupils and staff who feel they need support following Tuesday's events can access it."
Headteacher at the Community School of Auchterarder, Barbara Boyd said:
“The whole school, staff and pupils are devastated by this news. Elli was a credit to her family and the school. She will be sadly missed by us all. Our thoughts are with the family at this time.”
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