'They were the kind of screams that only come from a parent': Top Manhattan magazine editor watches in horror as her little girl dies after running in front of car at Father's day barbecue in the Hamptons

  • Daughter of Closer magazine editor Annabel Vered, 43, tragically died on Sunday
  • Tess Burstein, 6, was struck by elderly neighbors Toyota Prius trying to see a friend
  • Her father, UBS banker, Josef Burstein, 46, and his wife are said to be inconsolable

By James Nye

Published: 20:59 EST, 16 June 2014 | Updated: 09:18 EST, 17 June 2014

Tragic: Closer magazine editor Annabel Vered's (pictured) daughter Tess Burstein, 6, was killed at a Father¿s Day barbecue in the Hamptons when she ran out into the road

Tragic: Closer magazine editor Annabel Vered's (pictured) daughter Tess Burstein, 6, was killed at a Father¿s Day barbecue in the Hamptons when she ran out into the road

The daughter of a top magazine editor died in harrowing circumstances at a Father's Day barbecue in the Hamptons after she was hit by a car in front of her parents.

Tess Burstein, 6, whose mother is Closer magazine editor Annabel Vered, 43, was at a party for her investment banker father Josef Burstein when she ran in front of car in Water Mill trying to get to a friend.

The young girl was struck by the Toyota Prius driven by her 76-year-old neighbor and witnesses described the horrific wailing of her parents as they tried to save her on Sunday.

'I was in my back yard, and I heard the parents screaming, ‘No! No! Oh, my god! Oh, my God!’’ neighbor, Susan Infantino, 66, told The New York Post.

They were blood-curdling screams you know could only come from a parent. … I yelled over, ‘What happened What happened?’ And she said, ‘My daughter just got hit by a car!'

Tess's uncle, Amit Burstein said that his brother, Joef, 46, was completely devastated.

'She was an amazing girl, a very beautiful girl, very happy, very smart,’ Amit added of Tess. 'It’s a shock for everyone, a big, big loss.’

Tragic: Tessa Burstein was struck by a car after running out of her parents holiday home in Water Mill on Blank Lane

Tragic: Tessa Burstein was struck by a car after running out of her parents holiday home in Water Mill on Blank Lane

The family were hosting a barbecue at their summer getaway with other families when the accident happened.

The driver of the Prius, Maurice Wittenberg was driving towards the front yard of the Water Mill property with another car driving towards them.

 

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Witnesses said this confused Tess, who didn't see the other car through her blind spot.

'I think she waited until the larger car passed, not seeing the car coming in the opposite direction, and it hit her,’ Infantino said to The New York Post.

Treatment: Tessa was transported to Southampton Hospital and then to Stony Brook University Hospital where she was treated for critical injuries before her death just after 4pm

Treatment: Tessa was transported to Southampton Hospital and then to Stony Brook University Hospital where she was treated for critical injuries before her death just after 4pm

Wittenberg was driving with his 76-year-old wife, Harriet. He told The New York Post they were coming back from a supermarket trip when tragedy struck.

'I swerved left, but I couldn’t really avoid her. My car hit her, and she went flying and ended up in the middle of the road,’ said Wittenberg, a retired chemist to The New York Post.

'I feel it wasn’t my fault, but it’s still a terrible thing to know you’ve killed an innocent little child. It was the worst day of my life.'

His wife said that she wishes they had spent 10 more seconds in the supermarket - and this would never have happened.

A nurse rushed to help little Tess, but she died in hospital hours later.

Tess has a nine-year-old brother and a four-year-old sister who wanted to know if Wittenber was going to be given a ticket.

That sad question aside, there is no suggestion that Wittenberg was driving negligently or outside the law.

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Many years ago, close friends were getting ready to get married, when backing out of the driveway the neighbor ran the daughter of the best man over and killed her. Both parents saw it. The wedding went on through tears. The couple never recovered and later got divorced. The neighbor never recovered and the couple that got married later got divorced. Too much blame. Too many what ifs. In a blink of an eye, life can change.

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it is true the silent travel of a hybrid vehicle creates this risk. i have read Toyota is considering some sound in these vehicles to always be on to offset this. terribly sad for this family. inconsolable is the right word.

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The wife of the man who drove the fatal Prius says something which makes all the difference. Had they tarried at the market for just a bit longer, this accident would have been avoided. How often is it known what the time placement date stamp will or will not mark? Condolences to the parents of their lovely one. RIP Tess.

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I am not a parent so I cannot begin to image what they are going through, but my heart sank with horror reading this. Prayers for all involved

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So sad for all involved. Sympathy for the child, her family, and driver.

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Isn't Prius one of the new electric cars that don't make any noise? Such a tragic thing to happen.

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How awful! As a bereaved parent, my heart goes out to this family. The pain is horrific.

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This is a very sad Father's Day for both the driver and the father of that poor child. I don't know if another 10 seconds at the supermarket would have made a difference. Maybe the driver of the Prius should have waited another ten seconds after the other car passed to see if there's a pedestrian before stepping on the gas pedal. Prayers for this sweet little angel and her family .

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So tragic for everyone concerned. My heart goes out not only to the family of the child, but to the couple who were in the car that hit her, all whom are obviously distressed. I hope they can all find some measure of peace and comfort, though I suspect it will be a long time coming.

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You'd trade your summer palace and all your earthly treasures to get her back. But while on the subject, you should always drive e x t r a slow on lanes near families...especially if you're a senior citizen that should by law use public transportation or taxi.

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I think it's unfair to judge these people based on their age...you've made it their fault just because they are over a certain age even though they weren't doing anything wrong. I'd sooner say it's just as likely that 16 or 20 year olds could have hit this child....or anyone for that matter. It sounds like she was distracted by wanting to get across to see a friend and never looked a second time in the other direction. I always tell kids ( students, youngsters ...anyone, really) to" look once, look twice...then LOOK AGAIN....before you walk or make a turn if driving...because cars have a way of coming out of nowhere...so it seems. This is an unfortunate and tragic accident...please don't blame these people. They are suffering enough.

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People might be able to get around like that in tiny Sweden, but the USA is a HUGE country and people here actually drive.

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