Mother Accidentally Kills Three-year Old Son

Liam Turner, 3, was playing outside with his sister when his mother, Lyndsay Turner, 34, ran him over on her first time ever getting behind the wheel of the family car. The car which is a Citroen C4 hit the boy as his mother’s foot ‘slipped’ and the car ‘jerked forward’ and ran over little Liam.

Lyndsay was pulling into a parking spot near her home in Adland Road, Norfolk, when she hit the boy who was playing nearby with his sister. Liam’s father, Stephen Turner, 37, hurriedly moved the boy from underneath the vehicle and drove him towards the hospital, stopping to flag down an enrouten ambulance.

 

Despite being airlifted to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, Liam could not be saved.

The incident which occurred last year, June 7, held its inquest at the Norwich Coroner’s Court today. It heard, ”Liam was playing outside with his older sister on a hot summer’s day when he died”.

‘My foot slipped and it jolted suddenly forward,’ Mrs Turner told police during her interrogation.

In a statement, Mrs Turner described how she had requested driving lessons from her husband and attempted moving the car a short way to get parked. It was the first time she had driven a car, ever. She also did not have provisional driving license and was not insured.

Mr Turner also revealed he had supervised Lyndsay while she moved the car to where she would park it. Neighbour Amy Jones saw Mrs Turner pulling into the space in a ‘stuttering’ manner and heard Mr Turner shouting ‘stop’ followed by a loud crunch.

When Pc Forbes Scott informed the court ‘Mrs Turner was on a public road and should not be driving’, Crown Prosecution Service said ”it was not in the public interest to bring charges.” ‘There are no plans to bring any criminal proceedings in this case,’ he added.

He also noted there was no fault with the car.

According to the inquest, Liam suffered ”irreversible brain damage and  serious head injury after which he died at the hospital’s accident and emergency department at 8.16pm that day.

Deputy Coroner Nicholas Holroyd who recorded the conclusion of accidental death informed the couple: ‘This was an appalling tragedy and you both have my profound sympathy for this loss. There are very few parents who when looking back have not said to themselves “that was a near thing”, tragically this ended as disastrously as it did.’

In a statement issued shortly after his death, the couple said: ‘We are devastated by the loss of our darling little man. Liam was a happy, content little boy who was always smiling and laughing. He had a wonderful sense of humor and brought joy to the lives of everyone who knew him. He was deeply loved.

‘Life will not be the same without him.’

Mr and Mrs Turner deferred from commenting further after the inquest.