A woman died after being run over by a runaway parked car which rolled down a hill and onto the pavement.

The 53-year-old was with a little girl and believed to be on her way to collect other children from school when the tragedy happened in Great Horton Road, Bradford, at about 3pm yesterday.

Police are investigating how the car, which had been parked with a toddler inside it, could have moved and hit the woman who has not been named.

Inspector Angus Rushton, of Bradford North police, said a man parked a silver-grey Vauxhall Vectra on the corner of Great Horton Road and Union Road to go to a nearby shop.

The road is on a slight hill and the car rolled down in the direction of the city centre.

"Early indications are that the car was stationary and the driver went to a nearby shop," he said.

"For whatever reason the vehicle has rolled forward some dis-

tance, we do not know how far, and onto the pavement and collided with a female pedestrian."

Insp Rushton said there was a toddler in the car when the accident happened.

The driver was last night helping police with their inquiries.

Abdul Shakoor, 36, was working at the Fruit World store when he saw the accident happen. "One minute I saw the woman pass with a child, it was a girl aged about seven or eight," he said.

"The next thing I saw was a car rolling back on to the pavement and I saw the woman on the ground. The car seemed to hit her from behind and kept moving over her.

"There were a lot of people around trying to help. I don't think she was moving. The child wasn't crying, she just looked very shocked by it all."

The woman, who lived nearby, was taken to Bradford Royal Infirmary where she was pronounced dead on arrival.

The road was cordoned off for about three and a half hours and rush-hour traffic was diverted to allow police to carry out their investigations.

Officers spoke to shopkeepers and passers-by about the accident.

Resident Imran Hussain, 35, said the community was shocked by the news.

"The woman and her family moved here from France sometime earlier this year, I didn't know her name but I knew her by sight," he said.

"I didn't see anything but everyone has been talking about it.

"We think she was on her way to pick up children from school. It's very sad and very upsetting for the family.

"At first people thought someone had been knocked over on Great Horton Road because it's such a very busy road and we're always warning the children to be careful crossing over."

Painter and decorator Mark Kelly, who was working at the Bharat Indian restaurant, said: "I didn't know anything had happened until I heard the ambulance arrive and the police were closing off the road.

"There were a lot of people around, people were asking each other what had happened. Nobody seemed to really know."

Anyone who saw the accident is urged to contact Bradford North road traffic police on (01274) 376059.