Driver could not have noticed girl, 4, running across road: Coroner's inquiry into fatal River Valley accident

The death of four-year-old Zara Mei Orlic on Jan. 23, 2024, was a tragic accident that serves as a "timely reminder to caregivers of young children of the importance of road safety in that they must always hold the hand of a young child when crossing the road".

A coroner's court found on Jul. 12 that Orlic died of head injuries after a car collided with her and ran over her leg and head, CNA reported.

The family's domestic worker, who was bringing Orlic home with Orlic's younger sister, was only three steps away when the accident occurred at Institution Hill.

The domestic worker was carrying both girls' school bags and holding the hand of the younger sister.

She shared in court that she would usually hold Orlic's hand; however, the CNA stated that she was unsure why she did not hold the child's hand that day.

She added that Orlic was taught to be safe and usually walked on her own. The domestic worker also said she was not using any device when the accident happened.

The domestic worker said her employers had told her to hold Zara's hand when crossing the road.

Dashed across

When the two girls and the domestic worker were crossing the road, Orlic ran across the road but did not notice the car coming from her left.

According to the Straits Times (ST), the coroner said the domestic helper saw oncoming traffic, but it was too late as the car had collided with Orlic.

The car ran over the child's leg and head.

The domestic worker then shouted after the vehicle to stop and rushed to Orlic, who was lying motionless and bleeding on the road.

During the coroner's inquiry on Jun. 26, the driver, a 40-year-old Australian woman,  said she felt her car hit something and go over it.

When she checked the rearview mirror, she realised it was a child.

She immediately stopped the car and rushed to help Orlic. She stayed at the scene until the police and ambulance came.

Orlic's father, who was working from home, rushed to the scene after the domestic worker called him to inform him what had happened.

100cm tall

Previously, the traffic police investigated and found that the driver was not going at a fast speed, and Orlic only appeared for a second on the in-vehicle footage before the collision.

Orlic was only 100cm tall and was too short to be seen by the driver.

The coroner noted that it was "not surprising that (the driver) did not react to the situation by braking or taking evasive actions", ST reported.

The coroner added that young children may not be aware of road hazards, and due to their smaller build, they can be easily obscured.

"The need to be vigilant and to take utmost precaution cannot be over-emphasised," he said and conveyed his condolences to Orlic's family over the loss of the child.

The Orlic family lawyer told ST that the domestic worker is still working for the family, and the parents will review the coroner's findings and assess their legal options.

The driver's lawyer told the media that she had not been charged.

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Top photos via Mothership reader