A mother from Sydney is advocating for immediate safety reforms at Minto Mall following a tragic incident where a five-month-old baby lost their life and a five-year-old sibling was severely hurt when an SUV reversed into their pram.
The baby girl died at the scene on Monday afternoon despite frantic efforts to save her.
Her brother was rushed to The Children’s Hospital at Westmead in a critical condition but is now stable.
The incident occurred because there allegedly wasn’t sufficient space for both the pram and the vehicle in the confined parking spot, causing the parent to mistakenly shift the SUV into reverse, which led to the children being trapped between two cars.
This heartbreaking event has reignited frustration over the mall’s infamously narrow parking spots, with many parents stating that these areas are challenging to maneuver safely with prams and larger vehicles.
Mum-of-two Tanzin Cook shared her own ordeal in 2018, saying she once had just a 20cm gap to squeeze her children through.
‘If you’re in an SUV or 4WD, you are f***ed beyond measure,’ she said.
‘If you know anything about this shopping centre, you’ll know that the car spaces are incredibly narrow and that drivers do not often park well.’
She recalled climbing through the passenger side to reach the driver’s seat so she could move the car forward and safely load her children.
‘There was no other way I could have done it,’ she said.
A five-month-old baby girl was killed when she was hit by a reversing car in the Minto Mall car park on Monday afternoon
Tanzin Cook has detailed the same dilemma she encountered with her then-three-month-old and four-year-old in the car park in 2018
‘Based on reports I’ve read, the mum was in a similar situation.
‘This is a really bad car park and it is not easy to navigate with kids.’
The video was inundated with comments from other locals.
‘You shouldn’t leave kids behind your car. She was driving a Renault Koleos, not a particularly large vehicle, which also had reverse sensors and a reverse camera,’ someone remarked.
‘You need to put the kids in the car, before you put the shopping in the car, I see that all the time in Melbourne,’ another said.
But others agreed with her point about the carpark.
‘Every time I go here, I have to park away from everyone because of exactly the same issue,’ another mum wrote.
Another added: ‘Worst parking, nowhere to walk safely when going into and out of the shop.’
A third wrote: ‘I drive a 4WD and I dread going to this car park, it’s an absolute nightmare.’
It’s understood the woman behind the wheel of the Renault Kwid SUV accidentally reversed instead of moving forward
Minto Mall redeveloped its car park three years ago, with further upgrades to take place in the coming months.
‘In order to gain DA approvals, the required Australian standards for parking bays had to be met,’ shared centre manager Michael Prestia with Daily Mail on Wednesday.
‘Minto Mall remains committed to exploring options to enhance the Centre’s car park regarding entry, exit, and parking for the safety and well-being of our customers.’
‘We are most saddened by the tragic incident that occurred on September and wish to send our deepest condolences to the family, relatives and friends of the family on the loss of their beautiful five-month old baby girl.’
NSW Police have launched an investigation into the incident but at this stage are treating it as a tragic accident.
