NEED TO KNOW
- A 3-year-old boy suffered serious “head and facial injuries” after he was hit by a car in southeast Australia on Oct. 1, officials said
- His neighbor was backing out of her driveway when the incident occurred, and an investigation is ongoing
- As of Oct. 2, the little boy is in stable condition
A 3-year-old boy was critically injured after he was run over by a neighbor in southeast Australia, authorities said.
The terrifying ordeal happened on Wednesday, Oct. 1, around 9 a.m. local time in Bellambi, less than five miles north of Wollongong in New South Wales, according to the New South Wales Police Force.
Inspector Julia Patton told 7 News Australia that a 64-year-old woman was reversing her car in her driveway when she hit the 3-year-old child. The boy was later identified as AJ Jones, according to 7 News Australia and News.com.au.
“Came out this morning after hearing yelling and there was a little boy under the car,” an unidentified witness told 7 News Australia. “It was pretty bad. Crying, screaming, making a lot of noise.”
The little boy’s uncle said he rushed to grab a jack and used it to lift the car so a good Samaritan could pull him out, 7 News Australia reported.
When first responders arrived, they treated Jones for “head and facial injuries,” police said in the statement. The child was airlifted to a children’s hospital in Sydney, about 45 miles north of the coastal suburb. At the time, the toddler was in “serious but stable condition,” officials said.
A police spokesperson tells PEOPLE that the boy “remains in stable condition,” as of Thursday, Oct. 2.
At a press conference later that day, Patton said that the boy’s mother was nearby at the time of the accident, but detectives are investigating her exact location when her child was hit, 7 News Australia reported.
The driver was unhurt and was taken to the hospital for “mandatory testing,” according to the police statement.
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The police spokesperson confirmed with PEOPLE that “no charges have been laid at this time,” and an investigation is ongoing.
“Absolutely heartbreaking for the family, distressing for the first responders who attended,” said Patton, according to 7 News Australia.
Authorities urge anyone with information or footage of the incident to call the Wollongong Police District or Crime Stoppers.
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