Toddler, 2, in intensive care after driveway accident

A 2-year-old girl was in intensive care last night after being run over in the driveway of her home.

The toddler was partially crushed by a reversing vehicle yesterday in Claudelands, Hamilton. The vehicle had to be lifted off her.

Family members set out to rush the child to Waikato Hospital, but an ambulance met them half-way to get the girl to emergency care faster.

She was admitted to the hospital's intensive care unit, where late last night her condition was reported to have stabilised.

The incident is the latest in a series of driveway tragedies. A 4-week-old girl died on Saturday last week in the Waitakere City suburb of Titirangi.

Her mother had pulled in to visit friends but the car started rolling, knocked the infant from her arms and ran over her.

In December, 2-year-old Jasmine Luiataua was crushed when her 5-year-old brother released the handbrake while they were helping their mother wash their car in the Manukau City suburb of Mangere.

And in November, 21-month-old Isabella Thompson died in a Bay of Plenty driveway as her father Daniel Thompson manoeuvred his van and trailer.

Last July, a New Zealand Medical Journal editorial described the country's record of driveway accidents - the worst in the developed world - as a "black spot" in attempts to create a safe environment for children.