Chester girl killed by SUV driven by her own mother

CHESTER » A 6-year-old girl died of injuries after being struck by a vehicle operated by her mother, who may have accidentally hit the accelerator while reaching for another child who managed to get out of a car seat, police said Fri- day.

Layla Rodriguez was taken to Crozer- Chester Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead at 9:48 a.m., Police Chief James Nolan IV stated in a prepared release. There were no immediate charges pending against the child’s mother, identi- fied as 29-year-old Sharnei Thompson.

Chester police responded to the 200 block of Ivy Street for a report of a pedestrian struck by a vehicle at 9:10 a.m. Preliminary information indicates that Thompson placed another child, a 4-year-old, in the car seat before pulling out of a side parking area to allow her other children to enter the vehicle, according to the release.

“The child in the car seat got out and began putting down the electric window and attempted to open the rear door. The vehicle operator put the transmission control in the up posi- tion, believing it to be (in) park. However, it was most likely (in) reverse. While reaching for the child in the rear seat, the vehicle struck Layla, who was waiting behind the vehicle,” the release states.

According to police, another 10-year-old child also was struck, but not injured.

“The driver may have inadvertently hit the accelerator” as she was reaching for the child in the rear seat, the release states.

The vehicle was towed for inspection by the Pennsylvania State Police.

An investigation is continuing, according to Nolan.