Influencer Kelly Hopton Jones’ son is recovering after being accidentally run over while driving.
In an April 15 Instagram post, the content creator said that what started out as a “normal day” was turned upside down when she accidentally hit her son Henry with her car while leaving home with her daughter Lily.
Ms Hopton-Jones’ husband said: “He helped Lily into the car and waved goodbye between our car and Henry who was in the garage.”
“In a matter of seconds my son was hit by our car. I was driving,” Hopton-Jones wrote on Instagram.
Hopton-Jones said Henry, who will turn two next month, suffered a fractured pelvis after being taken to hospital, but is doing OK overall after the accident.
Hopton-Jones, who is also a pediatric nurse, runs the Instagram account @hillside_farmhouse, where she shares content about motherhood with more than 60,000 followers.
“We are on the lucky side of a very tragic accident.”
Hopton-Jones said she and her family are “in shock” but “incredibly grateful” that the toddler is recovering.
“We are replaying it over and over again trying to understand why this happened when we were right there,” she wrote alongside a photo of her holding her son’s hand.
She continued, “Holding or holding hands with young children around the car is non-negotiable. Don’t assume that your children will stay where you know them or where you last saw them.”
“Accidents happen, the only mistake is not learning from them,” Hopton-Jones said in the caption.
“Despite a very tragic accident, we are on the lucky side,” she added.
Some expressed support in the comments.
“It’s such a shame,” said influencer Emily Kaiser, who lost her son to an accidental drowning last year.
How to prevent children from back-up accidents
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 200 children are killed and 15,000 injured in backover crashes each year. Reversing accidents usually occur when the driver fails to notice the child and the car backs up over the child.
To prevent back-up accidents and keep children safe, government agencies recommend the following tips:
- Teach children not to play in or around cars.
- Always walk around your car and check your surroundings before backing up.
- Please be careful with small children. The younger the child, the more likely you are not to see him.
- Teach children to stay away from the car when the driver gets in or when the car starts.
- Ask children in the area to stand on the side of the driveway or sidewalk so you can see them when backing out of the driveway or parking space.
- Slowly back up and look behind you in case your child suddenly jumps out from behind your car.
- Roll down your windows when backing out of your driveway or parking space so you can hear what’s going on outside your car.
- Teach your children to keep toys and bicycles out of your driveway.
- Children may make unexpected movements, so be sure to actively check your mirrors when backing up.
- Don’t rely solely on your car’s backup camera or warning signals.
Melina Khan is USA TODAY’s national trends reporter. X Keep up with her at @melinakh and on Instagram @bymelinakhan.
