PITTSBURGH (WPXI) — A heartbroken father is demanding justice after his 9-year-old daughter was fatally struck by a car while riding her bike just a block from their Pittsburgh home.

An emotional Cory Carter spoke last Monday about the death of his 9-year-old daughter, Courtney Carter. The little girl was riding her bike in the Homewood South neighborhood just after 5:30 p.m. on Sunday when she was hit by a car. She was taken to the hospital, where she died.

“I just got notified that she was hit by a car. I ran to the hospital where she was taken and saw my baby die,” Carter said. “She was my first daughter, my first love, my everything. I can’t believe she’s gone.”

Courtney was getting ready to start fourth grade at Pittsburgh Faison. About a dozen children from her neighborhood released balloons in her honor at the scene of the incident. Others contributed to a growing memorial.

“My baby was loved. She had a beautiful soul, was a beautiful person inside and out. She deserved better. She deserves justice,” Carter said.

The father says the accident took something from him that he can never get back: his little “troll.” He gave Courtney the nickname because of her wild hair when she was younger.

“She loved animals. She just loved. I never saw my daughter unhappy. Watching my daughter die was traumatic for me,” Carter said. “I saw my baby take her last breath. Please pray for me and my family.”

The driver involved in the accident remained on site and is cooperating with the police in their further investigation.

City Councilor Khari Mosley said he is trying to organize a traffic study on the street where Courtney was hit.

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