Mother kills son, 3, as she tries to learn how to park
A MOTHER ran over and killed her three-year-old son as she tried to park the family car – despite not holding a driving licence, an inquest heard.
Lyndsay Turner, 34, lost control of the Citroen C4, which shot forward and ran over her son Liam’s head as he played with his elder sister.
Liam was taken to hospital but died that day from the serious head injury, the inquest was told.
Mrs Turner, who had ‘very limited driving experience’, had asked her husband to teach her how to park the car outside their home in Watton, Norfolk.
Stephen Turner, 37, was giving driving instructions to his wife through the open car window. But neither had spotted Liam playing with his sister Leanne, then six, and when Mrs Turner’s foot slipped on the pedal he was crushed.
Speaking at the inquest in Norwich yesterday, PC Forbes Scott said: ‘She shouldn’t have been driving the car.
‘She had very limited driving experience and had never driven that car before.
‘Her whole concentration was on driving and she was unaware of what was happening around the vehicle.
‘ Neither Lyndsay nor Stephen were fully aware of where Liam was.’
Neighbour Amy Jones, who saw the accident on June 7 last year, described hearing a ‘terrible crunching noise’.
She said: ‘Liam was bleeding really badly. Stephen picked him up and took him in the car and took him to hospital quickly.’
Mrs Turner comforted her son in the back seat and the couple, who do not work, managed to stop an ambulance. Paramedics treated Liam until he was airlifted to Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, where he later died.
PC Scott inspected the car the following day and said there was nothing mechanically wrong with it.
Recording a verdict of accidental death, assistant coroner Nicholas Holroyd said: ‘This was an appalling tragedy and you both have my profound sympathy for this loss.
‘There are very few parents who can look back and can’t say, “That was a near thing.” Tragically, this ended as disastrously as it did.’
Mrs Turner could have faced prosecution for offences including driving without a licence, driving without insurance and causing death by careless driving but no action was taken, given the tragic outcome. She was described as being ‘racked with guilt’ after the death and she and her husband were too distraught to comment yesterday.
But they had revealed how ‘life will not be the same’ in a statement released after the accident. It said: ‘ We are devastated by the loss of our darling little man.
‘Liam was a happy, content little boy who was always smiling and laughing.
‘He had a wonderful sense of humour and brought joy to the lives of everyone who knew him. He was deeply loved. Life will not be the same without him.’
No arrests were made or charges brought following the tragedy.