A 12-year-old girl in the US was seriously injured when her mother accidentally crushed her on her first day of school. PeopleThe incident happened outside Bowker Middle School in Florida on Monday morning. The 30-year-old mother was dropping her daughter off at school when she accidentally hit her. Police said the girl was rushed to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg with serious injuries.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), the 12-year-old girl had dropped some markers and pens and bent down to pick them up from underneath the vehicle. Unfortunately, however, the mother did not realize what her daughter was doing and began driving, running over her daughter. “She stopped immediately when she heard her daughter screaming,” said FHP Trooper Ken Watson. People,
A Sarasota County Schools spokesperson confirmed the accident, saying, “A parent accidentally hit their child as the parent was dropping the child off at the curb.” He added, “The school district encourages all families to follow district and school safety protocols and use designated student pick up and drop off areas on school campuses.”
Separately, Mr Watson said: “We’ve been dealing with tragedy here since day one. We’re hoping it doesn’t happen again, but we have to remember that when you’re around a school zone and particularly when you’re getting your child out of your vehicle, you have to maintain spatial awareness.”
“You want to avoid being in a hurry and getting your kids out in the turn lane when we should be right in front of the school,” he said, adding, “This is a tragedy that could have been 100 percent avoided if we paid a little more attention and didn’t rush.”
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In a message to families, Booker Middle School Principal LaShawn Frost said the accident “reminds us of the importance of following established safety procedures.”
The principal said, “Please remember that students should not be left unattended in the middle of Myrtle Street.” He added, “This practice poses a great risk to the safety of our students and the safety of others on the street.”
On Tuesday, officials said the girl was in stable condition. “Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital reported the 12-year-old victim was in ‘stable’ condition as of 4:00 p.m. Eastern time,” Mr. Watson said.
