Girl Playing In Leaves Killed By Dad's Truck
Playmate In Critical Condition

POSTED: 12:21 pm EST November 4, 2004
UPDATED: 12:39 pm EST November 4, 2004

METHUEN, Mass. -- A 10-year-old girl was killed when her father parked his truck in a pile of leaves in which she and a friend were hiding, the family said.

Family members told the Eagle-Tribune that James Gravel, 36, didn't know he'd run over the girls until he parked the truck, got out, and heard his daughter's voice.

"His daughter was calling for him," said his sister, Jennifer Gravel. "She said, 'Daddy, I can't breathe."'

Natalie Gravel was taken Wednesday night to Caritas Holy Family Hospital, where she died of head and chest wounds.

The other girl, Meredith Reid, 8, the daughter of Gravel's girlfriend, was in critical condition Thursday morning, the newspaper reported.

The accident occurred on Williams Street, where Gravel and girlfriend Kimberly Blanchard live with their children. Police said they did not intend to press charges against Gravel, a construction worker.

He "feels like he murdered his own child," said Natalie's mother, Carole LeBrasseur. "I wasn't upset at him. I know it was an accident."

Gravel's two other children, ages 11 and 7, were in his 1997 GMC truck at the time.

Jennifer Gravel said her brother is "very distraught. ... It's sad. He could have never known. The two girls were underneath, playing in the big pile of leaves. They were not visible."

By Emily7 on Thursday, November 4, 2004 - 04:25 pm:

OMG how horrible.

By Rayanne on Thursday, November 4, 2004 - 05:13 pm:

That is just horrible!!!!

By Colette on Thursday, November 4, 2004 - 05:19 pm:

I can see this happening, that's why I posted the warning. People rake, and leave leaf piles in their yards for the kids to play in every fall.

By Trina~moderator on Thursday, November 4, 2004 - 05:25 pm:

OMG! What a terrible trajedy! Prayers for the families. That poor father...

My kids rake leaves and play in the piles but they're in the yard and not anywhere near the driveway or garage where we drive our vehicles.

By Jelygu on Thursday, November 4, 2004 - 07:41 pm:

OMG! that is horrible!

By My2cuties on Thursday, November 4, 2004 - 07:52 pm:

That's aweful! I can't imagine how the father and siblings must feel right now. This is a sad thing, I myself use to play in leave piles when I was a child but my children don't have the trees to make a pile. Sorry to hear this news...

By Dana on Friday, November 5, 2004 - 11:42 am:

In tears. What a sad sad story

By Kernkate on Friday, November 5, 2004 - 12:35 pm:

By Bellajoe on Saturday, November 6, 2004 - 08:28 am:

That is sad. My kids do play in leaves, but they play in the backyard, safe from any possiblility of a car hitting them.
How awful the dad must feel right now. That is what i would call a freak accident.

By Karen~moderator on Saturday, November 6, 2004 - 09:04 am:

The thought of that literally makes my stomach churn. How heartbreaking!!!

When we were kids, we played in huge piles of leaves too, though they were in the back yard. Just shows you can never let your guard down when you have kids.

By Conni on Saturday, November 6, 2004 - 03:49 pm:

OK, I know this is going to sound mean of me but am I the only who wonders WHY you would park in a *pile* of leaves?? I know its mean, but I just have never in my life parked in a *pile* of leaves. Strange.

Very sad story. I heard on the news the other little girl is in critical condition. I wonder if she has improved any.

By Colette on Saturday, November 6, 2004 - 04:16 pm:

I figured he parked in the grass because there was either no room in the driveway or he thought the kids would be playing there. We had so many leaves (up until I raked yesterday) that the act of parking in the yard would put you on top of leaves.

from what I have heard the other little girl has not improved.

By Vicki on Monday, November 8, 2004 - 10:56 am:

It doesn't say in the story (at least that I can see) where this pile of leaves were. I know that in town, the people rake their leaves into the street and the street department comes along and sucks them up. I am wondering if it was something similar to that?? Very sad story.

By Bobbie~moderatr on Tuesday, November 9, 2004 - 12:07 am:

Vicki, it depends on where you live. If you live in the country you don't have curb side leaf pick up. You rake and bag or in most country settings they rake and burn the leaves. So out in the country it isn't anything to have huge piles of leaves all over the yard. Some cases it is just because that is the way the leaves fell and others because the people started raking and didn't get them bagged yet. Many yards around here are so full of leaves you can't even see the grass.