‘Horrific’ driveway crash kills 3-month-old in Chesterfield, advocates say incidents ‘happen in a split second’

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- Neighbors are sharing what they saw after a crash that ultimately killed an infant in Chesterfield, in an incident that child safety advocates said happens more often than we realize.

Chesterfield County Police said 3-month-old Fiona Phillips died after a vehicle hit her in a driveway on Thursday, April 9. A neighbor who witnessed the aftermath called it "horrific."

The neighbor declined to speak on camera or share her name, but said she was outside when the incident happened and rushed over when Fiona's mom called for help. The neighbor said she couldn't sleep at night after witnessing the tragedy, and that Fiona was very loved.

The vehicle also hit the house on Kingsland Road, where a large hole can be seen in the brick foundation.

Amber Rollins, the executive director of Kids and Car Safety, said incidents in driveways and parking lots are all too common.

"These type of incidents happen far more than people think. Over 100 children are run over in parking lots or driveways every week," Rollins said. "We really need to change our mindset around vehicles. And think of them as areas where young children are not safe and, you know, just be extra, extra careful and mindful. These things happen in a split second."

The exact circumstances of the crash have not been shared. Police said officers on scene "determined that a motor vehicle in the driveway lurched forward," and hit Fiona and the home.

"In general, keeping a parking brake on any time a vehicle is stopped and parked is a good idea," Rollins said. "And making sure that children are directly supervised. And when I say directly supervised, I mean, like toddlers are being held or they're contained in some way because they are wild and you cannot control them. So in a stroller or a grocery cart or, you know, some way that they are not operating on their own two little feet as much as humanly possible in driveways and parking lots."

Police said the operator of the vehicle knows Fiona, and is cooperating with police in the investigation. It's not clear if any charges will be filed.