A 23-YEAR-OLD Darwen woman who drove her sister’s car without permission ran over her daughter.

Blackburn magistrates heard the one-year-old girl suffered a broken leg and had to be airlifted to the Royal Manchester Childrens’ hospital to be treated.

And her mother told police she had been ‘completely unaware’ the child was near the car when she set off.

Adriana Mary Turco, 23, of Sarah Street, Darwen, pleaded guilty to unauthorised taking of a vehicle aggravated by injury caused to Katie Moreland, driving without due care and attention, other than in accordance with a licence and without insurance.

She was remanded on bail for the preparation of a pre-sentence report.

Sabrina Turco said her sister was looking for a pair of shoes which she told her might be in the car.

Turco took the keys off the fireplace.

The next thing she heard was screaming coming from outside and ran out to find her niece lying at the side of the road.

A neighbour told how he saw Turco throw herself out of the car while it was still moving down Edmund Street.

The car eventually came to a halt after crashing into a tree. He said the car had ‘kangaroo’ started and he could tell the driver was panicking.

Turco told police when she went out to look for the shoes she had an urge to move the car although she didn’t want to drive it anywhere.

She couldn’t remember if she had actually started it or whether she had just released the handbrake.