A Utah mother heard a "howling scream" when her partner accidentally ran over and killed her two-year-old daughter. Trish Paia, 32, lost her daughter Kaleleioleilani, known as Kalelei, in April 2023.
Kalelei's step-father, McKay Wright, 40, had been landscaping the back garden using machinery when the toddler walked behind the equipment and was run over in Utah, US. First responders performed medical care on Kalelei, but she died from her injuries.
Death ruled a tragic accident
Kalelei's death was recorded as a tragic accident, and McKay was not charged. However, the Spanish Fork Police report said he was over the legal limit for alcohol. The legal limit is 0.05 per cent in Utah, and a toxicology report showed McKay had 0.06 per cent of ethanol in his system.
Stay-at-home mum Trish, from Spanish Fork, said: "When I lost my daughter, my whole world was flipped upside down. I was in complete shock; I've never seen something so horrific. The aftermath of what happened to her looked like something you only see in horror movies."
Mother describes daughter's personality
Trish and Kalelei had a special bond, and the toddler had a very "bubbly personality". "She was very adventurous; she loved the outdoors, she loved animals," Trish said. "She was such a mummy's girl."
Kalelei had been in the kitchen with Trish, but had wandered outside when Trish turned her back to focus on the cleaning. Trish and her friend ran downstairs and saw McKay standing at the back door, holding Kalelei in his arms.
Details of the incident
McKay had been using a mini skid loader, a hydraulically powered construction machine designed for manoeuvring in tight spaces, to install a patio in their nine-by-eight-foot back garden. Kalelei had walked behind the equipment before McKay accidentally ran her over, police said.
Trish and her friend both frantically began calling 911 before Trish ran over to her neighbour's house to ask them to look after her two older children, who were still in the house. Spanish Fork police said that at 12:53pm, they received a report of a child run over by a piece of equipment.
Sadly, medics at the scene couldn't save her, and she was pronounced dead at the scene. Trish said: "All I could think about in the moment was protecting my children from seeing anything, and preventing them from being affected. Losing her was absolutely devastating; I lost my sense of purpose, and my life was a blur for a very long time afterwards."
Police investigation findings
A police report following the incident states that officers noticed a 12oz can of Michelob Ultra beer on the barbecue that smelled of alcohol, still had liquid in it, and was cold to touch. Officers also report that they could smell alcohol on McKay's breath when questioning him about the incident.
Police asked McKay to do a blood test, which showed he was over the legal driving limit. Following the investigation, Kalelei's death was deemed a tragic accident, and the case was closed.
