Daughter Of Grammy-Winner Killed By Brother-Driven Car

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The 5-year-old daughter of Grammy-winning Christian music star Steven Curtis Chapman was struck and killed Wednesday by a sport utility vehicle driven by her brother, authorities said.

The girl, Maria Sue, was hit in the driveway of the family's home Wednesday afternoon by a Toyota Land Cruiser driven by her teenage brother, said Laura McPherson, a spokeswoman for the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

The brother, whose name and exact age weren't available, apparently did not see the girl, McPherson said. No charges are expected.

"It looks like a tragic accident," she said.

Several family members witnessed the accident, which happened in Williamson County just south of Nashville. The girl died later at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, hospital spokeswoman Laurie Holloway said.

In a statement, Velvet Kelm, a publicist for Chapman, said Maria was the Chapmans' youngest daughter.

Chapman, who is originally from Paducah, Ky., and his wife have promoted international adoption and have three daughters from China, including Maria. They also have three biological children.

The singer's Web site says the couple was persuaded by their oldest daughter to adopt a girl from China. The experience led the family to adopt two more children and create Shaohannah's Hope, a foundation and ministry to financially assist thousands of couples in adoption.

The Chapmans did missionary work at Chinese orphanages in 2006 and 2007, according to the Web site.

"After our first trip to China, my wife and I knew our lives were changing _ our eyes and hearts were opening to how big God really is, and we have wanted to experience more of that," Chapman says on the Web site.

"We've really wondered whether or not we should just go to China and stay there. But I don't think so. I believe God is saying, 'I want you to go, get your heart broken, your eyes opened, and then take this story back to the church in America and around the world.'"

The 45-year-old singer also has released a book about being a father titled "Cinderella: The Love of Daddy and his Princess." He has won five Grammy awards and 54 Dove awards from the Gospel Music Association, according to Kelm.

Comments

[editrix66]

Can we please stop making this a war between atheism and Christianity and offer condolences to the family and hope this poor boy will recover? I am a Christian, but I understand why so many people question religion, and I acknowledge the suffering that organized religion has caused. Government has caused countless suffering too, but I do not think we should get rid of government. I think we should make it better, and I think the same of organized religion. Let's respect each other's differences and not make this family the example of anything. This could have happened to anyone, a mailman, a doctor, a dishwasher. Being a Christian singer doesn't make one immune to tragedy. I will be praying for this family and not try to analyze people I don't even know.

[adled]

I remember as kids we cruelly tormented another kid who, playing with matches, started a fire in his home and killed his younger sister. The family moved shortly there after. I can only imagine the burden he carried from then on.

[lisakaz2]

Holy cow! Wasn't anyone able to supervise this girl so she didn't get so close to such a big vehicle? What an avoidable tragedy. The young guy can't be blamed. The car is so high, he coulda missed a tiny girl easily if she were in his blind spot. Whoever was supposed to be watching the child got a lot of 'splain' to do.

[conniedogs]

God send forth your healing power, comfort their hurting hearts and wounded souls. Saturate them with your love and grace. Give them peace that surpasses all understanding. Replace the anger and guilt with forgiveness, giving thanks to you always for all things. Let your spirit of joy rest upon them and renew their strength. Help them to lean not unto their understanding. I pray that your will be done in their lives and in this situation.

[MikeInSanJose]

Surely gawd is punishing them for continuing to support a false religion based on hatred and war.

Right Haggee, Parsley, Robertson, dobson? gawd controls everything and he's freakin' pissed! You've condemned your followers by obscuring the truth and they've condemned themselves by blindly following their "leaders" off a cliff, knowingly accepting your distorted views.

Love isn't love if it's reserved for only members of your "church".

[rh654]

You really give atheists a bad name... My condolences to you for how you were raised and the type of parents you must have had...

[ChiGuy]

I'm an atheist, and even I find your comment infantile and lacking in humanity.

You must be a miserable person in your "real" life.

[TheBlackCat]

How sad, what a beautiful looking family. I only hope her poor brother can get through this.

[folksonomy]

I hope the young teen son truly heals from this tragic experience and is able to fully forgive himself and understand it was a horrible accident. I cannot imagine how everyone is feeling.

My prayers are with them.

[venicesurfer]

oh wow, i didnt know it was her own brother that killed her. thats terrible.

[thegreatgiginthesky]

My prayers go out to the Chapman family. This is a terrible tragedy that has occurred on such a wonderful day.

[UncleJimbo]

What a sad story! Now let us stop and think about the thousands of innocent childred that have been killed in Iraq and what their families have and will continue to suffer! Sad x's about 100,000!

[TraitorRick]

My heart aches for anyone who experiences something like this, no matter where.

You're right, this kind of pain is experienced by hundreds of thousands in Iraq, but we rarely hear much about it, and George W Bush doesn't care because they aren't Christian and will never be converted, so they are just collateral damage.

[tippy6]

This story has nothing to do with G. W. Bush, or even God. Please take those comments to another more appropriate post.

This is a tragic story of a family suffering, and I offer my sympathy.

[Fair]

This poor boy will never be the same, no matter how much he tries to deal with what happened.

We should all pray for them, it's a tragic tragic story, so unbelievably sad.

May God help this family in their time of need.

[whatsmyname]

A Tragedy indeeed, and God, i'm sure has some things for her to do. You are correct about counselling as that boy is gonna need lots of it and I only hope that the dad, can stay home now and be a more attentive parent along side his wife. The entire family needs togetherness now and to know that they are in all our prayers. And, sell that damn heap of a suv, as you'll be doing yourself and your son a favor.

[erykah]

How tragic. My prayers go out to this family, especially to the teenage boy. He didn't mean it but he will suffer from guilt the rest of his life. God help this child!

[SamBrown]

A parent's worst nightmare.
My deepest condolences.
As a father, I can only imagine the depths of your anguish.
May your faith help you and your family prevail through this your most trying time.

[DMSmith]

I wish this family well. Acceptance, and being merciful with themselves and each other, then learning to live life fully and with gusto and joy - in honor of the child's life - will serve them well. Without this even more of their lives will be, in some form, lost.

I hope they are able to take strength from those of us who care.