Aurora Starchild
This video is hard to watch. A toddler and her great-grandmother were pinned under a car after being slowly run over by another driver in Florida. The great-grandmother was pushing the girl in a stroller and returning to her car after buying groceries. Good Samaritans and officers rushed to their rescue, but it wasn’t easy, and it’s not clear if the great-grandmother will survive.
Videos by Rare
Driver Ran Over the Grandmother, Toddler, in Reverse
According to the Tampa Police Department, a 23-year-old was pulling out of the Arbor Ponds Apartment Complex and didn’t see the elderly woman and child behind him.
“The driver said he felt a bump, but assumed it was a large storm drain located behind his car and attempted to pull forward,” said the police in a news release (via News Channel 8). “When the vehicle did not move, he became aware that he had struck someone.”
Someone nearby had a hydraulic jack and lifted the car as they waited for emergency personnel to arrive. Corporal Baker said in a press conference that the hydraulic jack was necessary because the woman, child, and stroller were pinned so tightly under the car.
“The grandmother was blue in the face and having a really hard time breathing,” said Cpl. Baker. He added that a citizen tried to pull on the stroller, but it was stuck. When unbuckling the straps didn’t free the girl from the stroller, they needed to use a knife to release her.
Grocery Bags Pinned Between Grandmother’s Chest and Car Prevented Her From Breathing
Then Cpl. Baker returned to the grandmother to figure out why she wasn’t breathing. He realized that grocery bags that had been attached to the stroller had become pinned between her chest and the car. He began removing the grocery items so she could breathe.
The video shows the toddler whimpering as she is pinned under the car. The great-grandmother appears to be completely limp. Both were rushed to the hospital. The girl is listed in stable condition but the grandmother is in a critical state.
The driver remained at the scene and was cooperative and not deemed to be impaired. Police said he isn’t likely to face charges.
This is another reason to make sure that you check all your mirrors before you back your car up. Remember that there are blind spots, wait a moment, and double-check before pulling out of a parking spot. Stay safe over the holidays, everyone, and remember to take care of each other.
