Victim's sadness over Pc's death

Natasha O'Neill was told of Pc Pratt's death while she was recovering

A Kent woman has spoken of her sadness at discovering that a police officer was killed diverting traffic away from a crash in which she was involved.

Natasha O'Neill suffered a fractured spine and neck and broke three ribs in the accident at Bobbing, near Sittingbourne, on 14 June.

She had to be cut free from her car after it overturned on the carriageway.

Pc Phillip Pratt died when he was hit by a Peugeot 206 on the A249 while he was putting out cones.

Ms O'Neill said: "It's just sad how he ended up getting killed. [He was] just trying to help and doing his job."

'Everybody devastated'

She said she only found out about his death while she was recovering in hospital.

Her uncle, David O'Neill, who was travelling in another car, said he spoke to Pc Pratt just before he was struck.

He said: "Everybody was sort of devastated. You're involved in a major car crash, the services are there to help you and they lose one of their own.

"It's devastating news for anyone to hear. It's the last thing you expect."

A funeral service for the 26-year-old officer was held at the Minster Bethel Congregational Church, on Sheppey on 7 July.

Children hurt

Hundreds of people attended Pc Pratt's funeral

Family, friends and colleagues, including Kent's Chief Constable Michael Fuller, attended the ceremony.

More than 200 officers and staff were also at the funeral, many lining the streets to pay their respects.

Pc Pratt was a former pupil of Minster College and was one of the first officers at the school when a heating duct collapsed in May, injuring 11 children.

Flags at police stations in Kent were flown at half mast following his death.