Father charged with DUI after his SUV rolled over and killed his daughter, 12, on her first date

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Shamera Harris was getting out of the vehicle to take a picture with her 14-year-old date when it rolled backwards at 8pm on Sunday
The girl's father Richard Benton, 53, was charged with DUI after refusing a breath test following the accident

PUBLISHED: 16:23 EST, 24 February 2014 | UPDATED: 16:53 EST, 24 February 2014

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Shamera Harris was getting out of the vehicle to take a picture with her 14-year-old date when it rolled backwards at 8pm on Sunday, police said.

A 12-year-old girl has been killed on her first date after she was dragged by her father's SUV as she tried to get out of the vehicle to pose for a photo with the boy.

Shamera Harris was climbing out of the SUV to take a picture with her 14-year-old date when it rolled backwards at 8pm on Sunday, Pennsylvania police said.

The SUV dragged the girl about 50 feet before striking a tree. She died at the scene.

The girl's father Richard Benton, 53, was charged with DUI after refusing a breath test following the accident in the Stanton Heights neighborhood of Pittsburgh.

Benton was arraigned today on a single charge of misdemeanor driving under the influence.

Police said he could face additional charges if they determine he was directly responsible for his daughter's death. He is scheduled to appear in court next month.

Benton told police he thought the Ford Explorer was in park before he got out.

Police say that Benton smelled of alcohol, had 'glassy eyes', slurred his words and struggled to walk.

Shamera's mother Carla Harris told police the girl was getting out of the SUV in the driveway as they dropped the teenage boy off at his home.

Ms Harris said that she saw Benton fiddling with the gear shifter before the vehicle rolled backwards. The mother said that she had performed CPR to try to save her daughter.

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The 12-year-old girl died after she was dragged by her father's SUV in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh police charged Richard Benton, 53, with driving under the influence of alcohol after his SUV rolled backward over his daughter and killed her in Stanton Heights on Sunday

'He misjudged it from what we're being told,' police Sgt. Tom Huerbin said at the scene, referring to Benton's impression that the vehicle was safely parked before he got out.

The teenage boy who was on the date with Shamera witnessed her shocking death.

The youngsters had been on their first date at the Waterworks Mall to watch a movie before they were picked up by Ms Harris and Benton.

An autopsy was scheduled for the 12-year-old girl today.

Police will inspect the vehicle to determine if it was working properly, said Lt. Daniel Herrmann, who called the incident a 'terrible accident'.

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'If there's reason to believe he's responsible for this girl's death, then there will be (more) charges,' Herrmann said.

'It's one of those things where you have to go wait and see. You have a lot more investigation to go.'

Shamera attended the sixth grade at Pittsburgh Obama school. The school released a statement which read: 'We are deeply saddened by the painful loss of Pittsburgh Public Schools student Shamera Harris.'

Soft toys were left today at the tree where the 12-year-old lost her live. The tire tracks from the out-of-control SUV which dragged her to her death can also be seen