Girl, 2, dies as family car rolls down drive

A 2-year-old girl helping her mother wash the family car was killed after another child climbed into the vehicle and released the hand brake.

Emergency services were called to a Plumley Cres home in Mangere about 5pm, and found a woman and her daughter lying on the driveway covered in blood.

Neighbour Leta Pepe said she saw the woman lying on the ground screaming for her 2-year-old daughter behind her.

"All you could hear was Tina screaming: 'Jessie, Jessie, Jessie!' Another man was holding Jessie close to him, even though there was blood on her everywhere."

A bucket could be seen under one of the wheels of the vehicle, Ms Pepe said.

Mother and daughter were taken to hospital in a serious condition. The toddler died soon afterwards.

Inspector Chris Robinson of police northern communications said the little girl was outside with her mother and at least one other family member - believed to be a 6-year-old sibling - washing the car.

While mother and daughter were scrubbing the back of the Subaru Forester stationwagon, the 6-year-old got into the car and released the handbrake.

The car rolled down the drive, crushing the 2-year-old and seriously injuring the mother.

Letitia Deane, who lives nearby, was at the scene before emergency services arrived.

"I just saw a woman lying down on the ground and there was blood all over the place," she said.

"People were all over the place on mobile phones."

Ms Pepe said a police cordon blocked people returning home from work.

The family had been in the area for about eight years, and she had often spoken to Jessie's mother, Tina.

"Jessie was so nice-looking. A very pretty girl. I think [the couple] had two children, but Tina was always with her little girl.

"The poor thing. My heart goes out to them."

New Zealand has the highest rate of driveway accidents in the developed world.

On Saturday, a 1-year-old boy was hit by a reversing vehicle in a driveway in Kaikohe.

He was flown to the Starship hospital with serious injuries.

Last month, a 21-month-old girl died after being run over at her home near Hamilton, and a day later a 21-month-old girl was seriously injured by a car leaving a marae driveway at Bowentown, near Waihi.

The latest New Zealand Medical Journal Digest says it is to "our shame" that New Zealand still has the highest reported rate of driveway accidents in the OECD.

The Safekids organisation has been working with Housing NZ and the Auckland City Council on developing safer driveway designs.

The director of the child safety organisation, Ann Weaver, told the Herald last month a group established to focus solely on driveway safety had achieved some success in the Auckland region. There had been no instances of driveway injuries last year in Auckland.

Ms Weaver said there were plans to take the programme nationwide.