A Warwick family was in mourning last night after a 10-year-old girl was killed while cycling on a footpath.

Tiffanelle Pitcher-Francis was playing with other children at around 6.15pm on Saturday, when her bicycle collided with a metal barrier at the foot of Tribe Road No 1 in Southampton.

According to her family, she died immediately at the scene.

“I don’t know how to hold up right now — I am completely devastated and hurting,” said grieving mother Tiffany Pitcher, as friends and family comforted her in her Camp Road home.

“This is unreal to me; she is my second child.”

She added that Tiffanelle had been struck by a car on October 15, while walking in St David’s, and in that accident had suffered a broken leg.

“She was a very loving child, always hugged and kissed me and said she loved me. She loved her sisters and brothers. She looked like me was named after me — my backbone, my strength, my princess angel,” Ms Pitcher said.

The Francis Patton School P5 student is survived by sisters Garzaya, 10, and Tizzamaya, eight, as well as brothers Juneile, six, and five-year-old Nagarja.

Her mother held a school assignment in which Tiffanelle wrote of her dream to become a singer or dancer and possibly a teacher. She also played football with the Somerset Trojans.

Ms Pitcher, originally from Somerset, said the family had only moved to the area about three months ago.

She and boyfriend Kyle Paul said they hoped to place a memorial plaque bearing Tiffanelle’s name alongside the footpath where the barrier claimed her life.

According to police, EMTs arrived quickly, finding Tiffanelle unresponsive at the scene.

She was pronounced dead by a doctor at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

The narrow Tribe Road runs steeply between a switchback of Camp Hill Road, and the accident took place close to the office of area MP Jeff Sousa, who runs Sousa’s Landscape Management.

The One Bermuda Alliance MP, who returns today from overseas, told The Royal Gazette: “For anyone to lose a child at such a young age is horrible. My heart goes out to the entire family and all her friends and classmates. My heart is heavy over this as I see the spot where it happened every day, several times a day. They have my deepest condolences as a father and grandfather.”

Grandfather David Madeiros described Tiffanelle as a warm and soft-spoken child, adding: “I just buried my father in September and my stepfather one week apart — it’s been one tragedy after the other.”

Family last night named Tiffanelle’s father as Garvin Francis.

Her extended family of grandparents were listed as Bill and Regina Peniston, Garfield and Shirley Trott, and John and Michelle Outerbridge, as well as Ella Francis, Laurie Paul and June North.

Warwick South East MP Lawrence Scott also issued condolences to the family last night on behalf of the Progressive Labour Party.

“The passing of Tiffanelle Pitcher-Francis in a road accident is a tragedy that should deeply sadden and concern all Bermudians,” he wrote.

“One can only imagine the anguish and pain being felt by her family and we hope that in this time of bereavement that all who knew and loved this little girl are embraced, supported and lifted up in prayer.”

A memorial service is to be held at Amis Memorial Chapel.

Police are investigating the accident and have requested for witnesses, or anyone with information on Tiffanelle’s whereabouts in the hours leading up to the accident, to contact Pc Bianca Glasford of the Roads Police Unit at 247-1175, 717-2064, or by e-mail at bglasford@bps.bm.