• Terase Wylie, 6, was accidentally run over twice by neighbour Ashmita Chandra in Tuakau.
• Chandra pleaded guilty to careless use of a vehicle causing death and was disqualified from driving.
• Coroner Ian Telford urged drivers to keep children away from driveways and check surroundings before reversing.

A 6-year-old girl was fatally run over by her neighbour, who panicked and accidentally drove over her for a second time.

The accident traumatised her family so badly that they moved from Tuakau, just outside the Auckland region, to Taranaki to avoid any further contact with their neighbour.

A report published today by Coroner Ian Telford found Terase Wylie died at Martindale Lane, Tuakau, in October 2023 from a blunt trauma to the headas a result of being accidentally struck by a reversing vehicle.

Narissa Wylie says her daughter Terase was run over twice and the accident was preventable. Photo / Supplied

Terase was playing on her electric scooter on the shared driveway as the Wylies’ neighbour, Ashmita Chandra, reversed her car down the driveway, the report said.

“As Ms Chandra got to the bottom of the driveway, she hit and reversed over Terase, who went under the left rear wheel of the car.

“Ms Wylie, Terase’s mother, ran to the vehicle, yelling loudly and banging on the passenger window.

“In what appears to have been a state of panic, Ms Chandra drove forward - unwittingly running over Terase a second time.”

Narissa Wylie heard her daughter Terase screaming, then moments later she was cradling her lifeless body. Photo / Supplied

Last November, Chandra was sentenced at the Pukekohe District Court after pleading guilty to a charge of careless or inconsiderate use of a vehicle causing death. This charge carried a maximum penalty of three months’ imprisonment, a maximum fine of $4500 and a minimum period of disqualification of six months.

Chandra was disqualified from driving for 10 months, ordered to undertake 175 hours of community work, and to pay $4000 in reparation.

Telford quoted from the sentencing notes of Judge Tony Zohrab, who told Chandra the tragedy was “life-changing” for Terase’s family. Zohrab doubted Terase’s mother Narissa Wylie was ever going to get over what happened.

“I am sure that you as a mother might have some insight and understanding as to how she must be feeling,” Zohrab wrote.

“But it is not surprising to learn that Ms Wylie is profoundly sad and finds it difficult to look forward to the rest of her life. She describes herself as being without hope and direction when she attempts to live without her daughter.”

Describing Terase’s death as a “devastating, yet preventable, tragedy”, Telford said, “Sadly, these deaths - and the incalculable misery they cause - are all too common in New Zealand, which has one of the highest child driveway death rates in the world.”

He concluded the findings by warning drivers to

• Keep children well away from driveways. They shouldn’t think of them as play areas.
• Fence off the driveway from the main play area.
• Make it difficult for children to access the driveway by installing security doors or gates. Know where your children are before getting into the vehicle.
• Check around your vehicle before getting in.

If you need to leave your vehicle, make sure the hand brake is activated, and the vehicle is switched off.

“I commend these recommendations to all New Zealand drivers, parents, and caregivers. By - quite literally - looking out for each other, we can prevent deaths on our driveways, along with the suffering they cause within our communities.”

In his findings Coroner Telford doubted that Narissa Wylie would ever get over the death of her daughter Terase. Photo / Michael Craig

Narissa Wyle told the Herald that the accident was preventable and she would never forgive the driver.

She said that she, her husband Stephen and their daughter, Rawinia moved to Taranaki in January for a fresh start. The last thing Wylie did was leave two big signs cautioning drivers in the neighbourhood to “slow down”.

“We couldn’t stay in the house, it’s where Terase grew up and her memories are there,” Wylie said.

“My husband had to leave his job; my daughter had to leave her friends behind. The driver has never apologised, and they didn’t move, so we did.

“I still have nightmares and panic attacks. Sometimes I’ll be driving, and I get flashbacks- my entire body trembles, it’s horrible. I saw my baby’s head crushed. I was covered in blood and looked like a vampire because I tried my hardest to save her and couldn’t. My baby died right in front of me. I told the woman to stop, but she didn’t.”

Wylie says it has been difficult trying to move on with her life.

“My biggest regret is washing the car in the driveway, Terase could see me, but I couldn’t run fast enough to save her. Don’t let your kids play in the driveway, take them to a park – it takes one second for your entire life to be wiped out.

Narissa Wylie, said her daughter Terase was "her world". Photo / Supplied

“It’s hard waking up and not being able to give my girl a hug or read her a story. She was beautiful and happy with big blue eyes and a huge smile. Terase was my world.”

 Wylie ‘s eldest daughter, Wiki,25, recently had a baby girl named after her aunty- Hope Terase. She is trying to find purpose in her life and would like to find work as an orderly at Taranaki Base Hospital.

Wylie’s message to the driver is “Slow down, look after your son and help spread driver awareness.”

Carolyne Meng-Yee is an Auckland-based investigative journalist who won Best Documentary at the Voyager Media Awards in 2022. She worked for the Herald on Sunday from 2007-2011 and rejoined the Herald in 2016 after working as an award-winning current affairs producer at TVNZ’s 60 Minutes, 20/20 and Sunday.