Posted on 07/14/2007 6:17:46 AM PDT by Daffynition
GREEN BAY, Wis. -- A state senator accidentally drove over his young granddaughter Friday, killing her, the senator said in a statement.
Sen. Dave Hansen said he was leaving to attend a meeting when his granddaughter ran out of the house and got behind his car. Hansen said neither he nor his wife knew the girl had run outside.
The girl, Elliana Zaidel, was to have turned 2 on Wednesday.
Hansen said he is in deep shock and attending to the needs of his family.
The accident happened at Hansen's home in Green Bay at about 8:40 a.m. The toddler was sitting on a sofa when her grandmother left the room to get a blanket so the two could snuggle after the senator left for his meeting, said Jay Wadd, the senator's chief of staff.
The girl then ran outside.
"It happened that fast," Wadd said. "I think Ellie wanted to be with grandpa. She just loved him."
Green Bay Police Lt. Mike Graham issued a statement calling the girl's death a "tragic, unfortunate accident. There are no pending criminal charges."
Zaidel is the daughter of Paul and Cathy Zaidel of Stiles, a tiny town just north of Green Bay, Wadd said. Hansen and his wife have baby-sat the girl for about a year while her parents worked.
A 59-year-old Democrat, Hansen has been in the state Senate since 2001. He has three daughters and seven grandchildren, according to his official biography.
A tan car with a door ajar sat halfway down Hansen's driveway late Friday morning as police investigators took measurements at the scene.
Neighbor Mike Maloney said neighbors comforted a distraught Hansen and his wife, Jane.
"I just can't imagine it happening. It's terrible," Maloney said.
Kids and Cars, a child safety advocacy group in Leawood, Kan., said about 50 children are backed over in a driveway or parking lot every week in the United States and at least two die.
The typical child is 12 months to 23 months old, and 70 percent of the drivers are a family member of the child, said Janette Fennell, founder and president of the group.
Kids and Cars is promoting a bill in Congress that would require automakers to make it easier for drivers to see what is behind them, either with better mirrors, bigger back windows, cameras or sensors that automatically stop the vehicle.
Prayers up for this man and his family. What a horrible thing to happen.
Prayers for the family. They’ll need the LORD’s grace through this.
No kidding. I hit a child with a car years ago and only broke his leg and that haunted me for a long time. I can’t imagine what that family must be going through.
May God provide comfort to this family.
This will haunt him for the rest of his life. Sad.
However, A 59-year-old Democrat, Hansen has been in the state Senate since 2001 means legislation directed towards the rest of us is in the offing.
Reverse sensors should be mandatory on all vehicles.
This is the worst thing one can imagine.
God bless this man. Prayers up.
How awful! Prayers up for this man and his family at their tragic loss!
sorry.....this is NOT political.....
yes ~ lib/dems are just about all a-holes.....but
this is a tragedy about a man that would probably take the place of his grandaughter in an instant!!!!
can only hope his grandaughter will find the peace that he will never be able to find in this life!!!!
No they shouldn't.
Prayers for this man and his family.
Konitzer called 911. She says Hansen was frantic."He was just sweating and screaming and crying. He said, 'I just ran over my little girl. I just ran over my little girl, my granddaughter,'" Konitzer said.
Elliana Zaidel, who would have turned two next Wednesday, died as a result of the accident.
Senator Hansen's office released a statement. It says, "Ellie adored her grandfather and she was the apple of his eye."
Prayers offered for this family.
Sorry - however letting a 2 year old out of ones sight is stupid.
My kids are grown and have kids of their own now - when growing up they were NEVER out of sight as toddlers!
for the family?
Hey the child is DEAD. Pray for her.
Pray for this guy to get out of politics before he backs over you.
Wow. You must've been super-human.
Very stupid.....but, very much accidental that this happened, nonetheless.
I’m not one to throw stones at a man who likely wishes he was dead himself.
I understand, but this IS a political website and everything pretty much is filtered though that prism.
She was younger than two, I’m quite confident that she’s better off than all of us here- namely in the direct presence of the LORD. Praying for the dead is pointless anyway.
The family is dealing with major issues, they genuinely need the help of God.
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