Baby dies after stroller hit by van

AUCKLAND: A 5monthold baby died after its runaway stroller was hit by a van in Auckland yesterday morning.

The child was critically injured and treated by St John paramedics at the scene in Lake Rd, Northcote, before being taken to Starship children’s hospital.

The baby later died of its injuries, police said.

The driver of the van that struck the stroller carrying the baby said he could not shake the image from his mind.

‘‘I can’t believe it,’’ Sudhir Saksena said.

‘‘I really feel sorry for the baby and the family,’’ he said.

‘‘It’s a nightmare.’’

The child’s mother told Mr Saksena she had forgotten to put the brakes on the stroller, he said.

Mr Saksena, who was still shocked by the incident, said the stroller rolled down the hill in front of his car ‘‘out of nowhere’’.

‘‘The pram went flying down the hill right in front of me. I slammed on the brakes but it was too late,’’ he said.

‘‘I didn’t see it coming . . . I slammed on the brakes but it was too late.’’

The basket in the stroller came free in the collision and was flung about three car lengths forward, a witness said.

Mr Saksena said he was driving between 20kmh and 30kmh before the collision.

‘‘I pulled over and put the hazard lights on and went to see the baby,’’ he said.

‘‘There was noone there, and then the mum rushed out to see what had happened.’’

A staff member from a nearby childcare centre rushed out to the crash site and began to perform CPR on the baby, Mr Saksena said.

‘‘The mother was in shock . . . Then she asked what happened and she started to cry.’’ — The New Zealand Herald