Toddler dies in Waikato driveway incident

Mahi Rd in Te Kauwhata is cordoned off by police after a 2-year-old girl was run over a killed in a driveway. Photo / Niki Preston

A neighbour of a property where a little girl was run over in Te Kauwhata today heard screams and then a deadly silence.

The 2-year-old girl died after being hit by a car in a driveway in Waikato.

The girl died at the scene despite three ambulances attending at about 11.40am.

The neighbour looked out her window following the screams and shortly after saw police and a rescue helicopter arrived.

Another neighbour said the first she knew of the accident was when she heard the chopper.

There was also a fire engine blocking the intersection between Rata St and Mahi Rd at about lunchtime.

"It was weirdly quiet. I didn't know anything that happened.

"You couldn't see nothing. We just saw the Policeman, the guys in vests, but we didn't actually see any other people."

Police officers were this afternoon surveying the driveway between the RSA and a neighbouring residential property.

Neighbours told the Herald a Christmas gathering was held at the RSA yesterday and another thought they were preparing for another gathering today.

People sat around the property as police surveyed the scene, some hugging and embracing each other.

There were also leaving and arriving throughout the afternoon, while the cars parked on the front lawn remained in the cordon.

A pile of kids' bikes lay strewn across the lawn of the property and a section of the street where the Playcentre, RSA and brown residential property sit Remain cordoned off.

People gather on the corner of Mahi Rd in Te Kauwhata after a 2-year-old girl was killed by a car on a driveway. Photo / Nikki Preston

Neighbours told the Herald they believed a family lived at the property, but said it was a party house with cars often coming and going and parked over both their own property and the RSA.

A crowd of Friends and family gathered in front of the Te Kauwhata RSA just after 4pm today as police were in the final stages of collecting evidence.

A white hearse is waiting outside the cordon.

Once police are completed, the cordons will be lifted and the silver wagon which ran over the little girl in the driveway between the RSA and residential property will be towed away.

Family were to upset to speak to the Herald.

Another Mahi Rd resident, who asked not to be named, understood the incident happened a few houses down from her.

"An hour or two ago, police, fire and ambulance were all on our road.

"Police blocked the road off and redirected traffic so the rescue helicopter could land."

There was a party at the RSA today, which a large number of people were at.

"There was some kind of Boxing Day celebrations happening there," the resident said.

The Serious Crash Unit is investigating.

SafeKids Aotearoa has been campaigning for vigilance around children in driveways for some time.

Its campaign "Check for me before you turn the key" encourages people to walk around their car and check children are in a safe place before driving.

SafeKids gives away free keyrings with a "Check for Me" photoframe for parents to put a photo of their children, so there is an emotional reminder to keep kids safe.

Driveway Deaths in NZ

• 5 children are killed on average each year in NZ driveways
• About 1 child a fortnight is admitted to Starship hospital with injuries from driveway accidents
• Half of drivers are the victim's parent
• Most children injured are aged 2
• Accidents frequently happen in the summer months

How to stay safe around driveways

• Identify risks eg long driveways, one that provides pedestrian access to a house, near lots of parking
• Check for children before driving off
• Supervise children around vehicles
• Separate play areas from driveways