Who kills the children ? The cars or their drivers ? ...

The Daily Mail reports on the inquest on the death of 18 month old Greta Davison whose father reversed his BMW over her and didn't realise until his wife telephoned him at work.

Alan Mardell, head of the child protection unit at Herefordshire Police, carried out a routine investigation after Greta's death ... He told the inquest: 'This was nothing more than a tragic accident.'

The BBC report that Pc Alan Paton, of West Mercia Police, said tests carried out on Mr Davison's BMW had found numerous blind spots in his mirrors.

He said he would not have seen Greta even if she had been standing up.

The car also had a reversing sensor which did not go off but tests found that this would only have been activated if Greta had been standing in certain points and would not have sounded if she had slipped or stumbled on to the floor.

Coroner Mr Halpern recorded a verdict of accidental death.

When the Daily Mail reported the incident in February they reported an almost identical incident earlier that week when Jake Younger, aged 18 months who had just learned to walk, was killed as he ran out to greet his dad, Neil Lawson, 29, as he reversed his black Land Rover Freelander 4x4 up the family drive in Kibblesworth, near Gateshead, Tyne and Wear at 4.00 in the afternoon of February 7th.

At the time a Gateshead motor patrols spokesman said: “We are looking at the circumstances but this appears to be a tragic accident and our condolences go to the family.”

Gateshead coroner Terence Carney said (at the inquest on September 12th) Jake's death was a tragic accident. He said: "The father who is suffering greatly, readily co-operated with this matter and needs to be commended for the way in which he dealt with the necessary investigation.

"This incident occurred in circumstances where nobody had foreseen a child who has been able to come out of its home, looking for his father has walked in to the path way of a vehicle. It was a unfortunate accident and I record a verdict of accidental death."

Sunday, February 10, 2008 - How to kill your kids - Buy an SVU - 17 month old daughter killed by father
Saturday, June 10, 2006 SUV's are a hazard to children
Friday, October 07, 2005 SUV 's... kill kids and slays the old.

In a week (Guradian) when Nigel Gresham was at the wheel of his highly modified Land Rover when it flipped off the road at Tattershall Bridge, Lincolnshire, and rolled into the river Witham killing four of his children... it is remarkable how many children killed in car "accidents" have been killed by their parents.