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41 °F 5 Day Forecast Sunday, December 7, 2003 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | eSouthernOregon | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend December 6, 2003 Driveway accident kills toddler By ANITA BURKE Mail Tribune Decorative Christmas angels seemed to stand watch Friday night over a driveway where a Medford toddler was hit and killed by her mother’s car in the afternoon. The 18-month-old girl was struck in front of a home at the corner of Black Oak Drive and Hillcrest Road around 2:40 p.m., Medford police Lt. Mike Moran said. Little Shiesha Teann Thomas slipped unnoticed from the house where she lived with her mother, Susan Dell Fehlhaber, and her grandparents, he said. Fehlhaber, 24, was on her way to run some errands. She pulled forward, then backed up and struck her daughter, whom she thought was inside with grandparents, Moran said. Emergency crews from Medford Fire Department and Mercy Flights ambulance service quickly gathered the girl up and rushed her to Rogue Valley Medical Center. She died at the hospital about 6 p.m., Moran said. Advertisement As rain fell Friday afternoon, Medford police’s traffic team and several detectives worked to piece together what happened. "We’ll do a full investigation just to get the facts," Moran said. Officers with tape measures and small notebooks paced behind the yellow police tape cordoning off the driveway. Several vehicles, including the Honda sedan that hit and ran over Shiesha, sat in the driveway. Piles of pastel clothes and blankets marked where the child had fallen. Angel decorations flanking the home’s door overlooked the scene. A toddler swing hung, dripping with rain, in the side yard. Moran said the child suffered severe head trauma. An autopsy to determine the exact cause of death is set for Tuesday. He called the death a tragic accident, but said police would continue their investigation. "We do a full-blown investigation to make sure it is properly documented so we can answer any questions about whether a crime was involved," he said. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times