A mother wants to thank passers by who rushed to the aid of her little girl when she was hit by a car and flung 15 feet down the road.

Four-year-old Leah Burley stopped breathing for almost 30 seconds when she was thrown "like a rag doll” after running out in front of a red Peugeot at an island crossing in Lodge Lane, North Finchley, on Monday.

The young girl had slipped free of her mother Leeanne’s grasp as they waited on the island of the crossing with Mrs Burley’s ten-year-old sister at 4.45pm.

Mrs Burley says the driver was in no way at fault, and is hoping that by telling the story of her daughter’s lucky escape, it might engrain a road safety message in other parents and young children.

Leah, who attends nursery at Northside Primary School in  North Finchley, escaped with cuts and bruises but initial fears were that her condition was far worse, such was the extent of the collision.

Mrs Burley said: “A car stopped to let another out and she just ran out in to the road as it accelerated out and on to the crossing. All I saw was her flying through the air, looking lifeless. I ran over to her and her eyes were rolling back – I thought there and then that she was dead – I was in a total panic.”

Leah had blood around her mouth and had badly hit her head, having rolled up on to the windscreen of the car before being tossed along the pavement by the force of the collision.

At least five passers-by, including a doctor, ran to assist Mrs Burley, who immediately phoned the emergency services.

The doctor was able to provide some medical assistance to the little girl, while others comforted her mother and lent her their mobile phone to ring relatives, while the paramedics were on the other line.

After lying unconscious for almost half a minute, little Leah suddenly opened her eyes and let out a scream before shouting for her mother.

Mrs Burley said: “I was so relieved. The paramedics arrived and began giving her trauma treatment in the ambulance. We were told to expect some broken bones but when we got her to hospital, the X-rays showed nothing – the doctors couldn’t believe it.

“It was a miracle it wasn’t worse – she was so lucky.”

The young female driver of the car was reportedly left shaken by the collision but Mrs Burley wants her to be reassured the accident was not her fault.

She said: “She couldn’t have done anything differently. She stopped and tried to help so she shouldn’t feel bad.

“I just want to thank everyone who stopped to help, without them it would have been a lot worse.”

Following a week off nursery, Leah is now fully on the mend and revisited the site of the accident with her parents on Thursday.

Mrs Burley said: “She doesn’t actually remember being hit by the car, only letting go of my hand. Someone was obviously looking down on her and with any luck, someone will read this and it will make them extra careful next time they cross the road.”