The media liberally use the word ''tragedy'' to describe a death or distressing event. But the use of the word could not be more appropriate to describe the day Richard Bell went to the shops to buy cigarettes.
Mr Bell who was in his van, pulled off a kerb only to accidentally run over his three year old daughter Lacey - unaware she was at the side of his vehicle.
Lacey - who is thought to have followed her father out of the front door without him knowing - fell under the rear wheel and suffered fatal crush injuries in the impact. She was rushed to hospital by Mr Bell but she died an hour later despite attempts to save her.
In the moments after the tragedy he was overheard shouting: “I've just run my little girl over. I’ve killed my baby. What have I done to my family, I've killed my little girl.”
At an inquest in which a coroner recorded a conclusion of death by road traffic accident, Mr Bell, in his 40s, from Burnage, Manchester, sobbed as he relived the the tragedy which occurred at 6pm on February 21 just a week after Lacey's third birthday.
He said he had been fixing a toy quad bike for his daughter and was showing her how it worked before heading to the shops to buy cigarettes. The hearing was told Lacey had been in the living room when her father popped his head around the door to say he was going out.
Cavendish Press' coverage of the sad case went in the Daily Express, Metro, Daily Mirror and various websites after Lacey's family agreed to speak to our reporters to pay tribute to the youngster and thank wellwishers.
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