Two-year-old girl died in river after handbrake released on parents’ car

A two-year-old girl was killed when the car she was in rolled into a river after its handbrake was disengaged, an inquest heard.

Kiara Moore died after being recovered from her parents’ silver Mini in the River Teifi in Cardigan on March 19, just one week before her third birthday.

An inquest heard the little girl was left alone in the car for just over two minutes while it was parked outside her parents’ outdoor pursuits business, before the vehicle rolled down a slipway into the freezing water.

Her mother, Kim Rowlands, 29, said she got in her car around 3.30pm and accidentally sat on and snapped her credit card, and needed to go back inside her office to retrieve £10 from a safe to buy food.

She said: “The car keys were still in the driver’s side or in the ignition.

“As I went into he office I could hear Kiara in the car. When I left she was singing and shouting and laughing.”

CCTV showed Kiara was left alone for two minutes and one second outside the office before the car began to roll down the slipway it was parked on, and ended up in the freezing river 10 seconds later.

Miss Rowlands appeared outside around a minute later and called the police after initially fearing the car had been stolen with her toddler inside.

PCSO Caryl Griffiths broke down in tears in court while describing diving into the river and helping smash open the car’s window to try and rescue Kiara.

She said: “I then felt Kiara’s body. She floated out of the vehicle into my arms.

“She was wearing a pink jacket which matched the clothing described by her mother.

“As we reached the river bank I took hold over her and lowered her onto the floor, putting her gently on the ground.

“Officers began CPR on her.

“All I remember is standing there looking at her body on the ground.

“Her head was rolling all around the place and her face was purple.”

Kiara was taken to University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, where she was pronounced dead later that evening.

Aled Thomas, a forensic vehicle examiner, said the car’s handbrake was not engaged when it was found, and said CCTV footage was consistent with it not being engaged at the time it began to roll down the slipway.

He said the vehicle had no defects and was found in third gear, which could have been the result of water gushing into the Mini.

Kiara’s father, Jet Moore, 41, who runs the outdoor adventure business, said he did not believe Kiara had any interest in playing with controls in the car.

Coroner Peter Brunton recorded a verdict of misadventure, saying the toddler died from immersion as opposed to drowning, as “Kiara had no control over what happened”.

Mr Brunton said: “The question is how these events were able to occur with the gear and the handbrake in the positions described.

“On the balance of probabilities, for that car to roll down the slope into the river, even in third gear, without its handbrake applied, the only inference I can say is that the handbrake was not set for whatever reason.

“It seems quite clear to me that drowning would have occurred within 30 seconds of the car going into the river.

“Her body was not recovered for some two hours later.

“These were a perfectly lawful set of circumstances that have taken an unexpected turn.”

A statement from Kiara’s family was released following the inquest, which described her as “an amazing little girl who lived a life full of love and adventure with her close and extended family”.

The statement added: “She left us all with a huge gap in our lives this year.

“We all love you forever ‘Rar Rar’ mummy, daddy, brothers, sisters, nanny and grandad, bampy and nanny, uncles, our many friends, and yours.”