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

[NewArtz]

There are no words to console us when we hear of another's suffering due to a situation which could have occured to any of us, in any of our families, to one of our own loved ones. This is sadness, and in this pain we can relate with one another beyond the many viewpoints which might divide us.

My heart goes out to this family, because I can understand that the love they have for their daughter and their son is no less than my own for my own.

[doug108]

How horrible. My heart goes out to this family.

[IntrepidReader]

When I was a toddler, I was nearly the victim of the same kind of accident right in our own driveway. My father was about to back the car out and had no idea that i had managed to get right behind the car and was pushing against the trunk lid, maybe thinking it was some sort of fun game as the car started moving backwards. He couldn't see me in the mirror, I was small and his Buick sedan was very large. My mother said it was nothing short of miraculous that she saw the whole thing through the kitchen window and banged on the glass as she screamed, attracting my dad's attention enough to make him put on the brakes.

If your car doesn't have a rearview cam, check behind it before you get in the car and start backing up. If you're pulling into a driveway where there's any chance at all that a child or a pet may be around, do it slowly.

[Matt58]

My friends, God does not exist. But this family does.

[BigCheese]

Amen.

[hypnus]

God does exist. He lives next door to me and his car alarm keeps going off at 5:00 in the morning.

[LiberalBuzz]

Such a very tragic and sad thing. I hope the boy gets counseling. Far too many people who have been the accidental cause of a young child's life never recover emotionally or mentally from the horror. One grandfather forget he had left his infant granddaughter in his car and she died of heat stroke. He killed himself a week later saying he just couldn't live with himself and it was the only way to stop the pain..

One can only imagine.

Such a sweet little life taken too soon.

[Pamela1961]

I'm glad you mentioned that the boy gets counseling. He has to be feeling so many horrible emotions and he needs to know that these terrible things happen to people of all ages and hopefully he won't have guilt destroy part of him. The whole family might want to get counseling either together or individually. I'm sure they do have a spiritual support system, but sometimes you need someone who is educated in these types of catastrophies.

Take care LiberalBuzz.

[lippp]

This is a very sad, horrific tragedy for the entire family. I cannot imagine what the young boy must be going through even though this was an accident. But I have to wonder how a loving God could allow this to happen to one of his followers or to anyone else for that matter. Yet especially to a devoted Christian family. I, for one, would be angry at any deity allowing something like this to occur to innocent victims. Enough said.

[jfoxx]

Why turn this into a selfish slander?

[lippp]

Slander. Just how have I slandered anyone? I feel for this family. But the fact remains a loving God, if he/she exists, would never allow such a horrible tragedy. Must have touched a nerve with you. You might examine why.

[Felicty]

Please.

It was obviously God's Will. Isn't that what those people believe?

[johnnyjust]

As an atheist, what do you care what other people believe?

[Virtuosome]

I guess the cookie-cutter response would be:

"God works in mysterious ways."

But this is really tragic and I don't even want to imagine what the brother must be going through right now.

[lippp]

I suppose the pat answer is "God works in mysterious ways". But apparently a more accurate response is "God works in mysterious, cruel ways whether you honor him or not".

[johnnyjust]

Since you don't believe in God you don't have to worry about the spiritual ramifications.

Simply assign this death (as well as your own impending demise) to evolutionary anhiiliation and be rejoice.

[NyPrincess]

Very sad...

[fraziersview]

I hope everyone will say a prayer for this family. This is a double tragedy, for the little girl who died, as well as her brother, who undoubtedly loved her very much, and was driving the vehicle. . This is so tragic and it happens more frequently than one would think. Small children often run out to wave good bye, or run toward the car to get the drivers attention. Drivers of SUVs are at a particular disadvantage as they cannot physically see the child out the rear window or in the mirrors. Drivers can improve their rear view vision with various devices, including a camera which displays on the dash.. Please, if you drive an SUV or a truck, check into the various options for extended view..

[MsLiz]

Just don't buy another damn SUV. I am convinced that most people who buy them do so because they can't see around all the other SUVs in traffic. They are wasteful. I understand the appeal, as my father loaned me his Suburban for a Girl Scout camping trip and I kept it for six months, but at least he recognized that buying was a symptom of an oncoming stroke.

[feculentlibs]

This post is an absolutely perfect example of liberal insanity.

Read it through a couple of times,until you get the full measure of this illogical rant.



Thank you,MsLis, for this perfect specimen. I will be using it frequently.