Teen tells of moment reversing Land Rover hit girl, six
A teenager has told a jury of the moment a six-year-old girl was struck by a Land Rover as its driver attempted to reverse into a parking bay.
Lena Chalajczak died from her injuries after being hit by the car in West Bromwich while walking with her mother Camilla, who was also struck.
Jamie Coote, aged 34, is standing trial for causing death by careless driving and is accused of not checking the area behind his car was clear before starting to reverse. He denies the charge.
A 17-year-old boy, who is friends with Lena's brother and was walking with the family at the time in August 2014, said Coote's Land Rover was stopped in the road next to parking bays on Lyng Lane.
He told Wolverhampton Crown Court they had started to walk behind it to cross the road when the car started to reverse.
He said: "When we were behind the car, the car reversed. I just saw Lena a little bit in front of Camilla, they were holding hands. The next moment I remember them lying underneath the car.
"I was almost next to the car, behind Camilla and Lena and the car just reversed."
Another witness, Salem Ahmed, who was waiting for his daughter in his car in one of the parking bays near Lyng Medical Centre, said Camilla put her arms out in a desperate attempt to stop the car. But he said there was nothing they could do to get out of the way.
Mr Ahmed said the car passed in front of his vehicle and after coming to a stop began to reverse 'more or less immediately'.
He said: "He came to a sudden stop and he reversed really quickly.
"At the same time the car was reversing, two teenagers, a lady and a child crossed over and they just couldn't avoid it. The woman tried to put her hand out to stop the car. It all happened very quickly and they vanished beneath the car. They didn't have a chance to get out of the way."
Asked by prosecutor Mr Howard Searle if there was anything obstructing the view towards the family, he replied: "No, not at all. It was a clear view."
Lena, who lived in Cambridge Street, West Bromwich, went to Lodge Primary School, was taken to Birmingham Children's Hospital after being hit but died from her injuries. Her mother suffered only minor injuries.
The court heard Coote, of Newhall Street, West Bromwich, who had stopped after his partner told him she needed to collect her prescription, got out of his car and tried to comfort the victims along with an off-duty police officer before paramedics arrived.
Mr Searle had told the jury earlier that Coote's driving 'fell below careful and competent standards' as he 'didn't make sufficient checks'."
The trial continues.
