Calls for safety upgrades after infant fatally struck in Minto Mall car park

A five-month-old girl has died and her five-year-old brother was injured after being struck by a reversing vehicle in the car park of Minto Mall in Sydney's south-west on Monday afternoon, prompting renewed calls from parents for safety upgrades to the centre's parking layout.

New South Wales Police said the incident is being treated as a tragic accident while investigators examine how the children came to be behind the vehicle. Paramedics and police attempted to save the baby at the scene but she later died. The five-year-old was taken to hospital with injuries and was released the following evening.

Local parents and shoppers described the centre's bays as notoriously narrow and said they were difficult to use when prams or larger vehicles were involved. Several people who frequent the mall said tight spaces force awkward manoeuvres; one mother, Tanzin Cook, recalled in media interviews that she once had just a 20 centimetre gap to get her children past a car and had to climb through the passenger side to reach the driver’s seat.

"If you're in an SUV or 4WD, you are f***ed beyond measure," Cook told reporters, describing the difficulties of negotiating the bays with young children. She said her experience in 2018 closely matched accounts of the recent incident.

Other commenters on social media and in local reporting disputed some details, arguing drivers should ensure children are safely inside vehicles before manoeuvring. One commentator noted that many modern cars have reverse sensors and cameras, while others said the layout leaves pedestrians with little safe space when entering and exiting the mall.

Minto Mall management said it is considering changes to the car park following the tragedy. Centre manager Michael Prestia said the redevelopment completed three years ago met the Australian standards required for development approvals and that further upgrades were already planned. "Minto Mall will continue to seek ways of how to improve the Centre's car park in view of access, egress and parking, in the interest of the customers wellbeing and safety," Prestia said, offering condolences to the family.

NSW Police confirmed an investigation had been launched to establish the circumstances of the collision. Police statements so far have described the event as a tragic accident; investigators are working to determine the sequence of events and whether vehicle movement, bay dimensions or other factors contributed.

Minto Mall's car park has been the focus of complaints from local residents and parents in recent years. Shoppers and carers have told local media they frequently avoid close parking bays at the centre, opting to park farther away to allow for safer loading of prams and shopping. The incident has revived debate about whether compliance with building approvals and minimum bay dimensions is sufficient to ensure safety in high-use family shopping centres.

The case follows broader concerns in Australian cities about the interaction between vehicles and pedestrians in retail precincts, particularly where families with young children and prams are common. Authorities and centre managers can consider a range of measures reported elsewhere, including clearer pedestrian paths, larger family bays, speed-reduction measures and improved signage, but any specific changes at Minto Mall remain under consideration pending the outcome of the investigation and consultations with stakeholders.

Police asked anyone with information or footage relating to the incident to contact investigators as they continue to piece together what happened. The centre reiterated its condolences and said it would cooperate with authorities as inquiries proceed.