A one-year-old girl died after she was run over by a car in Arima on Friday night.
Ziara Stephen was struck by a Nissan Tiida motor car around 9 p.m. at a home on River Road.
Police were told that Ziara was with members of her family who were liming with a friend.
The friend said goodbye to the family and went to his vehicle which was parked on the road.
He had a brief conversation with the child’s father while seated in the car before putting his car into reverse gear.
He told police that he only allowed the car to roll back and he felt the back of his vehicle come into contact with something, after which Ziara’s cries were heard.
When the friend and the family checked, they realised the car had hit the infant.
The toddler was taken to the Arima Hospital where she died around 9.41 p.m. while being treated.
Officers from Arima Police Station responded.
The driver of the vehicle, who is also from Arima, has since given a statement to the police, even as investigations continue.
Speaking with reporters yesterday in Arima, the driver of the vehicle which struck little Ziara said he was trying to come to terms with the incident.
“I have a daughter. I would never want something like this to have happened to her. So I’m feeling like it’s my own. I’m feeling a lot of pain inside…. I haven’t eaten yet. And all I can think of is finding a way to go back and do that night over,” the driver said.
He said he would usually spend several nights at Ziara’s home as he was good friends with the family.
He said he felt hurt.
“All I can say is that a life has been lost. If I had seen that child I would never have moved the car. But I didn’t think she was outside. We last leave her inside. I was outside talking to her father for a bit, and when that was done, I give him a bounce and he walk off.
“I let my vehicle roll back and that was it. What was hurting me is that it didn’t even have a car in front of me. I just accustomed reversing out. If I had just driven forward, this situation would not have happened,” the driver said.
He called on parents to keep keen eyes on their children.
“I’m not saying anything about this directly, but we have to always remember to always have an eye on our children. Because they are unpredictable. Especially in their younger years,” he added.
He said he went to make the report to the police following the accident and had submitted to a breathalyser test, which he passed.
The driver said he was co-operating with the authorities and would follow all directions given.
Ziara was remembered yesterday as a loving child with a warm laugh. “She was the star of the family,” a relative said.
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