A 12-year-old Florida girl is in critical condition after being accidentally run over by her mom on her first day back at school.
Highway Patrol Trooper Kenn Watson informed ABC Action News that a preteen was struck around 7:45 a.m. after she dropped her backpack, causing some of her belongings to roll beneath her mother’s Lincoln Navigator outside Booker Middle School in Sarasota, Florida.
The mother didn’t realize the middle schooler crawled on her hands and knees beneath the SUV to retrieve her belongings just as her mother started to drive away.
“She immediately stopped when she heard her child scream,” Trooper Watson explained.
Following the accident, the girl was airlifted to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg. As of late Monday night, she is in critical condition.
Authorities Scold the Community Following a Mom Running Over Her Preteen Daughter at a Middle School
“Here we are, day one, and we’ve already had a tragedy,” Trooper Watson told the outlet. However, they used tragedy to underline the importance of awareness while behind the wheel.
“We’re hoping this does not happen again, but we have to remember to have that good spatial awareness when you are anywhere around a school zone and most certainly when you are letting your kid out of your vehicle.”
“This is a tragedy that 100% could have been avoided by simply paying a little more attention and not being in a hurry,” Trooper Watson added.
In the aftermath of the unsettling incident, the school provided counselors for students. Meanwhile, Principal Dr. Lashawn Frost urged parents to adhere to the designated drop-off procedures. This guidance was shared in a message she sent to parents, as reported by Action News.
“This serves as a reminder of the importance of following our established safety procedures,” Dr. Frost lectured.
“Please remember that students should not be dropped off in the middle of Myrtle Street,” Dr. Frost continued. “This practice poses a significant risk to our students’ safety and the safety of others on the road. We kindly ask that all parents and guardians follow the designated drop-off procedures by using the parent loop. This ensures that students enter the school safely and helps us maintain a secure environment for everyone.”