It's a story you'll only see on 6 News. The family of a little girl who was run over and killed by a truck is suing Ford Motor Company in a wrongful death suit.

"I heard someone say she got hit. I had no idea how when, where, why," said the victims' father, Eric Danchanko.

Most of those questions have been answered in the 16 months since 2-year-old Autumn Danchanko was killed. But the question of "why" has lingered. And now Autumn's family said the reason she was killed is because the truck wasn't equipped with a back-up camera.


The family acknowledges it was a tragic accident but they told 6 News they've also come to recognize that it didn't have to happen. They allege if the truck would have been constructed properly their daughter might still be alive.

"We never fathomed that it could happen to us," said Danchanko.

It was Oct. 29, 2011, when Autumn was killed when her uncle accidentally ran over her with his pickup truck in the family's driveway.

"My wife screamed," said Danchanko. "I ran up to the garage, she was holding Autumn and I had no idea what happened."

The pickup truck was a 2010 Ford F-150 XLT model.

"From the driver's seat of this particular vehicle, a driver can't see an object that's about 3 feet tall, like Autumn was, unless it's more than 30 feet behind the vehicle," said the family's attorney, Ronald Carnevali, Jr.

Danchanko's parents have now filed a lawsuit against Ford Motor Company. They allege the vehicle wasn't constructed properly. They said the truck had a significantly large blind spot and had it have been equipped with a backup camera or safety sensor, the accident might not have happened.

"It really rips your heart out knowing that it would have saved her life," said Danchanko. "It's very difficult to swallow."

"These safety features were an option and I don't think safety should be an option," said Carnevali.

6 News reached out to Ford Motor Company Tuesday, which said it just received word of the suit a few days ago and hadn't started their investigation.

Carnevali said he's done extensive research, finding at least one law that would require all vehicles to have safety cameras installed. But it hasn't yet passed.

"There's been study after study, postponement after postponement," said Carnevali. "There's been lobbying by automakers to delay implementation so that law has never gone into effect."

"We want to see more things done," said Danchanko. "We want to bring justice to Autumn (because) this could have been prevented."

Carnevali said nearly 50 children are run over every week in the U.S. and at least two of them are killed as a result.

Ford has 20 days to respond the lawsuit. Carnevali expects it to go to trial in about 18 months.