Girl’s family devastated by car tragedy

Shamirah Grant was playing with friends in Leopold Grove, Chapeltown, Leeds, when a green Vauxhall Astra came down the narrow steps between two houses.

The children are understood to have fled to a grassed area but the vehicle continued and trapped Shamirah.

Another girl, named locally as 12-year-old Finlay Woodhouse, suffered serious injuries including a broken leg.

Police said she is in hospital and her injuries are not life-threatening.

The incident happened around 8.30pm on Tuesday.

Sasha Grant, 28, Shamirah’s oldest sister, said the family were “devastated”.

“Shamirah was the sweetest little girl, she was friendly, popular, and beautiful,” she said. “Teachers liked her at school and she had lots of friends around where she lived.

“We’re absolutely devastated. My sister got dragged under a car in an area where she should have been safe.

“We can’t understand why she has been taken from us, and the only thing we know for certain is that she isn’t here any more.”

Shamirah’s father Gary, 46, said the family live in one of the houses at the side of the alley.

The youth worker, who has six children with his wife Jennifer, said he heard a commotion and went outside to see that his daughter had been dragged under the car.

“She’d followed her friends onto the grass verge but the car had caught her and dragged her under,” he said.

“She was unconscious by the time I got to her.”

A man and a woman have been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.