North Shore Baby Death Tragedy: Shocked Driver Says Stroller Came ‘Out Of Nowhere’

The driver of a pickup truck that crashed into a stroller carrying a five-month-old baby says he can’t get the image out of his head.

“I can’t believe it,” Sudhir Saksena told the Herald.

“I really feel sorry for the baby and the family,” she said.

“It’s a nightmare.”

Still shocked by the incident, Saksena said the stroller rolled down the hill in front of her car “out of nowhere.”

“I was driving home to get some tools for work,” he said.

“There was a car in the middle of the road, going down the hill. I was going up and the house was right on the hill.

“The stroller went flying down the hill right in front of me. I hit the brakes but it was too late,” he said.

“I didn’t see it coming … I hit the brakes but it was too late.”

The baby was airlifted to Starship Children’s Hospital with serious injuries after the crash, but died in hospital this afternoon, police say.

The basket in the stroller was released in the collision and was thrown about three cars forward, a witness said.

Saksena said she was driving between 20 and 30 km / h along Lake Rd in Northcote before the collision.

“I stopped, turned on the hazard lights and went to see the baby,” she said.

“There was no one there, and then the mother ran out to see what had happened.

The girl’s mother told Saksena that she had forgotten to brake the stroller, she said.

A staff member from a nearby child care center rushed to the crash site and began performing CPR on the baby, Saksena said.

“The mother was in shock … then she asked what happened and she started crying.”

Emergency services were called to North Shore Street at 8:54 a.m.

Saksena said that she felt very bad about the incident and that her thoughts were with the affected whānau.

Kevin Walker said he was driving down Lake Road with his wife when the collision occurred.

“You just saw a stroller come out of the driveway. In your head you’re like ‘Am I dreaming?’ It was like a nightmare.

“I saw the mother come running, she was in a panic, everyone was.”

He said the fast-moving stroller went through a narrow gap between two moving cars in its lane, but was then hit by an oncoming vehicle.

“You could probably make that happen 100 times and it wouldn’t have affected anything.

“The moment it happened, it was an absolutely strange accident.”

He said the vehicle that hit the stroller was not driving fast.

“He did his best to stop. But he hit the middle of the car … and the basket went flying, about 50 feet.”

He added: “Everything stops when you see something like this. It’s absolutely heartbreaking.”

Jackie, a resident who lived nearby, stopped by the scene at night to drop some flowers on the side of the road.

He did not know the family well, but said such a tragic death affected an entire community.

“It happened on the same road that I drive every day. It just makes life at home disappear so quickly.

“Five months, it’s just devastating.”

Jackie said she felt sorry for the driver of the car.

“There is nothing they could have done.”

A witness to the accident previously told the Herald that the stroller had to be pulled out of the truck it struck and that there was a large dent in the front of the vehicle.

Ali, who didn’t want her last name used, said other motorists rushed to try to help, but there wasn’t much they could do.

Police are investigating and the Serious Accident Unit was examining the scene today.

Saksena spoke to police after the incident and tried to continue her workday in an effort to distract herself.

“I didn’t know what to do. I went to work but couldn’t do anything, so I went home.”

“I can’t sleep, I can’t drive, I can’t do anything.”

The child’s death will be referred to the coroner and the police will ensure that those involved are supported.