Father's anguish after driveway tragedy

Isabella Thompson's father tried to revive her, but she died before emergency services could get to her. Photo / Supplied

Daniel Thompson had loaded his van and hitched his trailer as his baby daughter Isabella waved goodbye to him from their front lawn.

The Te Pahu builder and a couple of his work colleagues were off to a job, and as Mr Thompson always did, he checked that Isabella and her big brother Karlos were safe and in view as he was about to drive away.

But in the time it took him to click on his seatbelt and for his mates to get in the van, Isabella, who was three months short of her second birthday, ran unseen next to the van.

Mr Thompson, 29, knew something was wrong when he felt a "little bump" and heard 5-year-old Karlos crying.

Underneath the van lay Isabella, critically injured.

"I'm not saying it wasn't my fault but I couldn't see her," said a distraught Mr Thompson, his voice breaking and tears welling in his eyes as he spoke to the Herald.

"It's a bloody terrible thing ... that was my baby girl."

A second toddler was in Starship hospital last night after being run over outside a marae less than 24 hours after Isabella's death.

The 21-month-old girl suffered serious head injuries after she was run over by a car leaving the driveway of a kohanga reo about 8.15am at a marae near Bowentown, about 12km from Waihi in the Bay of Plenty.

Two weeks ago another child was injured when run over by a relative in a driveway in Hamilton.

Safekids NZ director Ann Weaver said being run over in driveways was New Zealand's leading cause of pedestrian death for children under five, with four deaths and at least 30 serious injuries on average each year.

"What could be worse than driving over your own family member?"

Sergeant Dave Litton of Waihi police said the girl in yesterday's incident was first taken to Tauranga Hospital by ambulance in a serious but non-life threatening condition.

"We're talking about very, very high stakes here," he said.

"When you consider what's at stake, police urge drivers to double check their way is clear and if you have any doubt at all that your way may not be clear get out of your vehicle and check - a couple of seconds could avoid another tragedy," he said.

Mr Thompson hopes the death of his daughter may help prevent other tragedies.

After Isabella was hit, he called 111 and with the help of staff over the phone tried to perform first aid.

Paramedics arrived at the Thompsons' lifestyle block in Te Pahu, about 12km west of Hamilton, soon after but the toddler was dead.

Mr Thompson cannot understand how his daughter could move so quickly and not be seen by himself or his two friends in the van.

"You just can't be too sure," he said. "I reckon putting them inside the house is probably the best thing because you can never assume anything with children.

"You can never take it for granted that they're safe ... I just want people to be aware of this. I always was aware of it. Well, I thought I was."

Isabella's grandfather Stephen Thompson said she was "always bubbly, like any 2-year-old".

"She was like a little doll all dressed up, she was so full of life and just loved her dad."

Daniel Thompson said his daughter loved playing with his dogs or the free-range chickens that roam their yard.

"She loved animals and was always out and about playing with them."

Isabella's funeral is to be held tomorrow in Hamilton.

Automobile Association technical advice manager Jack Biddle said motorists could have sensors or cameras fitted to vehicles, but that did not eliminate the need for checks. .

"There will always be a baby or someone that will crawl under a car in a position that it can't be seen," he said.

"What we would always encourage is, if you are in foreign territory with kids around, assume nothing and take a good look around - with all the latest and greatest, accidents can still happen."

* What you can do to help save lives

Attach mirrors to rear of cars to show what is immediately behind

Use positioning sensors, which let out a noise when they detect an obstacle a set distance from the rear bumper. They cost about $200

Fit rear-end cameras. They cost more than $1000

Identify blindspots

Keep the rear window shelf clear of junk and back windscreen free of stickers