WA: Girl, 8, critical after mother's car stolen from driveway

AAP General News (Australia)
08-15-2006
WA: Girl, 8, critical after mother's car stolen from driveway

PERTH, Aug 15 AAP - An eight-year-old girl was critically injured when run over by
a teenage thief as he stole her mother's car from the driveway of a West Australian home.

Police say the mother had left her daughter and one-year-old son in the car, with the
engine running, in the driveway of their grandparents' house in Esperance yesterday.

She had been checking the house was secure, while the grandparents were away on holiday.

While the woman was away from the car, police media spokesman Ian Hasleby said a 19-year-old
man got into the vehicle and reversed it out of the driveway at high speed.

"A short distance from the house, the eight-year-old was thrown out of the vehicle,"

Mr Hasleby said.

It was not clear if the child had fallen, jumped or been pushed, he said.

But she was run over as the man continued to reverse the car down the street, until
it hit a tree.

The driver tried to run away, but was intercepted by an onlooker.

Both children were taken to hospital in Esperance, before the girl was airlifted to
Princess Margaret Hospital for Children in Perth.

The boy was uninjured.

Mr Hasleby said police were interviewing the 19-year-old man.

AAP lk/sp/srp/sp

KEYWORD: DRIVEWAY

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