There are no words to describe the gut wrenching pain Grammy award-winning Christian singer Steven Curtis Chapman and his family are experiencing today.
An unimaginable tragedy struck the tight-knit group yesterday when Chapman’s youngest daughter was killed in the family’s driveway… by her teenage brother.
While all the details of the devastating accident have yet to be confirmed, according to updated police reports that were released just hours ago, Chapman’s 5-year-old daughter suffered fatal injuries when an SUV driven by her brother accidentally struck her.
Police say the girl, named Maria Sue, was playing in the driveway of her family’s Franklin, Tennessee home Wednesday evening when her brother (whose name was not released) rolled over her. According to reports, several family members witnessed the accident, and said the teen driver simply didn’t see the little girl.
Emergency responders say Maria Sue died shortly after she was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center last night.
According to Chapman’s manager, no charges are expected to be filed against the singer’s son.
A blog dedicated to Maria has been set up here and there’s a touching tribute written by Chapman’s manager who describes the scene leading up to the heartbreaking accident. It reads in part:
“Just hours before this close knit family was celebrating the engagement of the oldest daughter Emily Chapman, and were just hours away from a graduation party marking Caleb Chapman’s completion of high school. Now, they are preparing to bury a child who blew out 5 candles on a birthday cake less than 10 days ago.”
Maria is one of three young daughters Chapman and his wife adopted from China (the couple have three biological children as well). The award-winning singer has been a longtime advocate of international adoption and has never been shy about sharing his feelings about having a large family.
“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 by building a large and loving family,” Chapman notes on this website.
In addition to singing, Chapman has also dabbled in writing. He recently penned a book about being a father titled “Cinderella: The Love of Daddy and his Princess.”
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