18-month-old Parkland girl killed after being run over in church parking lot

PARKLAND, Wash. -- An 18-month-old girl died on Tuesday after a driver accidentally ran her over in the parking lot of a Parkland church.

The Pierce County Sheriff's Office gives this account of what happened:

The toddler apparently crawled in front of a truck's tires just before the driver was leaving the Lamb of God Christian Community Church.

A woman, 35, was driving the Chevy Avalanche with her sister and two children inside the truck. She spoke to a family member outside of the truck. At the end of the conversation, she turned right and stopped at a sign on Pacific Ave S.

The driver told investigators she noticed a commotion behind her truck, looked back and saw a small child lying in the road. The child's mother, who had been inside the church, scooped up the girl and ran toward the truck. The driver immediately started driving them toward the nearest hospital.

After calling 911, dispatchers instructed them to pull over and wait for an ambulance. Paramedics arrived and took the child to Mary Bridge Children's Hospital in Tacoma where the girl was pronounced dead.

Investigators said the driver of the truck cooperated and there were no signs of impairment.