A “PERFECT” little girl was crushed and killed when her father ran over her in his tractor.

Six-year-old Teal Emilia David died on Saturday, 27 June, last year, after falling from a 1966 Nuffield tractor at the family’s Aberdaron holiday home.

Teal, who lived at Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire, was riding on the tractor along with her father Evan David and two of her siblings when a jolt caused her to fall from the vehicle, an inquest at Caernarfon heard on Wednesday.

In his panic to help her, dad John failed to activate the tractor’s hand brake and the 49-year-old vehicle’s large rear wheel rolled over the six-year-old’s body, killing her almost instantly.

After hearing evidence on Wednesday, coroner Dewi Pritchard Jones recorded a verdict of death by misadventure, that is death caused accidentally by a person without negligence or intent to cause harm.

Following the hearing, an emotional John Evan David, who was born in San Francisco but has lived at Aberdaron and is a Welsh speaker, paid tribute to his daughter and those who have supported the family since her death.

“She was perfect,” he said. “She was so caring.

“I’d like to thank the police. Both Thames Valley Police and North Wales Police have been excellent.

“I’d also like to thank Child Bereavement UK who have been very helpful in getting us through this terrible tragedy.”

In his evidence to inquest, John told of how the treat of a ride on the tractor turned to tragedy.

He said he was driving the vehicle from a farm where it was stored to his family’s home when it “jerked,” throwing Teal to the ground.

He said: “She fell off and hit the concrete. I stopped and she didn’t get up.

“I panicked and didn’t get out of gear. I ran over her.”

The inquest was told by vehicle examiner Philip Jones that the tractor, though old, was well-maintained and mechanically sound.

Accident investigator Michael Prime said the vehicle was travelling down a steep slope and a jerk of the brakes would have caused Teal to fall down the hill and between the front and rear tyres.

“Unless the tractor was correctly secured and the hand brake was on, it would have easily rolled down hill,” he said.

“Teal ended up in front of the large wheel and it’s rolled over her.”

Pathologist Dr Mark Lord said that Teal’s chest injuries were consistent with this version of events.

The impact of the wheel would have been “almost instantly fatal,” he added.

Recording the verdict of death by misadventure coroner Dewi Pritchard Jones said the cause of death was a crush injury to the chest.

He said: “Mr David was giving his children a treat with a ride on his tractor.

“This entirely innocent and not reckless task led to the entirely unforeseen event of Teal falling under the tractor and to her death.”