Blacktown toddler dies after being hit by neighbour’s car in driveway
The heartbroken family of a toddler who was fatally run over by her neighbour’s car in a western Sydney driveway have pleaded for compassion for the distraught driver. LISTEN TO THEIR HEARTBREAKING ACCOUNT.
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The heartbroken family of a toddler who was fatally run over by her neighbour’s car in a western Sydney driveway have pleaded for compassion for the distraught driver.
The grandmother of the one-year-old girl who died at a Blacktown townhouse complex on Tuesday night said the driver “would give his own life to bring her back”.
Speaking through tears, the woman said the families lived side-by-side on Kent St and were extremely close.
“If you pray for us, pray for him too. He was in the driver’s seat, just paused and chatting to (the little girl’s mother) and I don’t know where she came from but she was at the front of the car and neither of them knew. He thought he ran over a toy,” she said.
“He is absolutely distraught. His whole world is over. His little girl is two weeks older than one of our grandchildren.
“Most weekends they are sitting here playing Play Doh and chalk drawing. There’s nothing he could have done.
“For people who hear our story and read it, just have compassion for the driver as well.”
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The woman said the two families celebrated Father’s Day together last month and routinely had game nights.
“We are close family friends and he parked his car here and drove around the hedge and that is where it happened,” she said.
“(My granddaughter) was almost 18 months, she’s the youngest and we haven’t told her older two siblings yet.
“She was really musical, she couldn’t walk past a speaker without wanting to be put down to dance.
“She loved stealing the remote when her brothers were playing Minecraft.”
The grandmother added the little’s girl father had already been struggling with the loss of his mother, who died last month.
“He’s absolutely devastated. He was already grieving,” she said
Emergency services arrived at the scene about 7.30pm on Tuesday and found the toddler in a critical condition.
She was treated before being taken to The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, where she later died.
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Another neighbour who is close to both families said the little girl was adored by her older siblings and parents.
“I’ve known her since she was born, ever since she was a little baby … (her mum) is always holding her, so it was just a blink of an eye,” the neighbour said through tears.
“She’s a beautiful girl, a happy girl. On Sunday as I was coming out here she was with her mum and she always sticks her arms out for a cuddle. I gave her a cuddle and a kiss and told her I love her.”
The neighbour said the child’s family had not yet shared the crushing news with friends and relatives.