He didn’t see my 2yo in front of him, he thought my son was just a speed bump

Perth parents Emma and Ryan were on holiday with their two sons at a caravan park when they heard the screams of a woman nearby.

Alexandra Feiam

3 min read

June 24, 2024 - 6:22AM

Family Life

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It was a relaxing evening at a caravan park in Esperance, SA, where parents Emma and Ryan were preparing for their dinner.

Their two sons, Archie and Parker, were playing around the park, scooting and enjoying themselves.

Two-year-old Parker had turned the corner on his scooter and disappeared from view; it was only for a short while before a woman’s voice came barrelling through the SA caravan park.

A child had been hit by an oncoming car.

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Parker was playing on his scooter when he was hit by a 4WD. Picture: RFDS

Toddler hit by 4WD at caravan park

Looking over at the neighbour, Emma recalled saying: “I hope it’s not my kid.”

It was January 2023, and the caravan park was “absolutely packed,” Emma told 7News. “Then I saw Archie run up and say: ‘It’s Parker’.”

Fifteen metres away was 2yo Parker, lying behind the back tyres of the A-frame caravan, towed by a Toyota LandCruiser.

The toddler was covered by a blanket; the car had run over the toddler with all four wheels.

“When he fell, I think the scooter was in front of Parker, so I think ... the wheels have gone over Parker, a bit of the brunt of the weight from the LandCruiser had been taken by the scooter,” Emma told the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

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“He was on his belly, he was covered with a blanket, he was conscious, but just sort of whimpering and slightly moving his head — he couldn’t speak or anything.”

The driver of the LandCruiser had no idea he had just run over a child; he was looking for a place to park, and thanks to the slightly sloped road, he had no idea the child was in front of him.

“He thought [Parker] was just a speed bump,” the woman recalled.

After months of treatment, Parker is back to his usual self. Picture: RFDS

“The number of cars that fly through caravan parks is absolutely insane”

Thankfully, a paediatric doctor and a nurse were staying at the WA caravan park and rushed to the toddler’s side.

An ambulance was called to the scene as the medical team worked to relieve the toddler; he was soon rushed to the local hospital, where the yo underwent a full body scan.

His injuries were extensive, including internal bleeding, a lacerated liver, a broken arm and a smashed pelvis, broken in three places. However, as the hospital wasn’t equipped to treat the 2yo effectively, he was flown to the Perth Children’s Hospital.

The toddler was left to recover in the hospital for four weeks while the medical team worked tirelessly to realign and set his broken bones; the toddler wouldn’t be able to walk for another month, but it wasn’t long before he was back on his scooter.

“If you met him now, you would never know that this happened to him last year,” Emma told 7News.

Despite his miraculous recovery, it may take years for his pelvic bones to fully heal from the extensive injuries.

The Perth family will be returning to their favourite spot for caravanning, but they have warned other holidaygoers to be extra cautious when driving in the parks, despite the driver not speeding, potentially sparing the child's life.

“The speed limit at caravan parks is a walking pace,” she said. “And the number of cars that fly through caravan parks is absolutely insane.”