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A mum accidentally ran over her four-year-old daughter who was trying to play hide and seek behind her car, an inquest heard.
Little Olivia Hicks died from brain injuries when she became trapped under the car her mum Kelly was backing out of the youngster's grandmother's driveway after dropping her off for childcare.
Kelly and Olivia's grandmother had assumed Olivia had run into the house in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, while they had a brief conversation after her grandmother let her out of the car.
But Kelly then reversed her Ford Focus and ran over her daughter. Olivia got trapped underneath, crushing her. She was airlifted to Addenbrooke's Hospital in nearby Cambridge, but tragically died five days later.
An officer from Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Collision Investigation Unit, PC Alan Kemp, told the inquest yesterday: "Nobody knew she was there. If Olivia was close to the rear of the car, she would have been completely out of sight of the driver as she was a small child.
"The car reversed causing her to topple over and the car then passed over her as the gap between the footpath and the road edge reduced.
"There were marks on the rear bumper of the vehicle which were consistent with it contacting Olivia as it moved backwards. It only moved back less than three metres."
Coroner David Morris recorded a verdict that Olivia died from injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident causing her catastrophic irreversible brain damage incompatible with life.
Olivia's mum Kelly, a local government officer in Cambridgeshire, and her dad Graham Hicks, a banker, issued a statement to their local paper saying: "Olivia was a cheeky, chatty and clever little girl who has left us, our family, friends and everyone who knew her with amazing memories that will never fade. We miss her every day.
"We would like to thank the emergency services, the East Anglian Air Ambulance and Addenbrooke's Hospital for the care they gave to Olivia giving her the best chance possible.
"We are also grateful to the Sick Children's Trust for giving us a place to stay only minutes away from Olivia's bedside while she was being treated, and will be supporting the Trust's fantastic work in Olivia's memory."
What a sad story. We wish the family all the best.