A routine afternoon at a Monroe County home turned into a terrifying emergency Wednesday when a 3-year-old was pinned between two vehicles and had to be airlifted to a pediatric hospital in Atlanta, according to deputies.
Investigators say the child became trapped when a car with a manual transmission jerked forward as it was being started, pinning the toddler between that vehicle and another one in the driveway on Shady Road. First responders pulled the child from the wreckage, and a life-flight crew flew the youngster to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta for treatment. Officials have not released the child’s condition.
What happened
Monroe County deputies told reporters they were called to the home around 4:10 p.m. Wednesday. According to investigators, the child’s father was working on a separate vehicle when the mother started a manual-transmission car. The car lurched forward, and the child was caught between the two vehicles.
Deputies and first responders removed the child from the scene, then a life flight crew airlifted the patient to Atlanta for emergency care. The sheriff’s office says the investigation is active, and it remains unclear whether any charges will be filed, as reported by FOX 5 Atlanta.
Transport and care
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta operates a pediatric critical-care transport program that uses both ground and air transfers and staffs teams trained for neonatal and pediatric emergencies. The hospital’s transport service manages thousands of critical-care transports each year and can respond directly to scenes when needed, providing stabilization while patients are on the way to its facilities.
Regional pediatric trauma and transport resources are often called in when children suffer severe injuries, helping get young patients to specialized care as quickly as possible. For more details on the hospital’s transport program, see Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
Driveway danger and safety
Incidents in driveways and on private property, including vehicles that move unexpectedly, are a known hazard for very young children, who can easily end up in a driver’s blind spots. Advocacy and safety groups say these events continue to be a common cause of serious injury to toddlers, and small children face a disproportionate risk in back-over and driveway crashes.
Simple steps can lower the odds of tragedy, such as walking completely around a vehicle before starting it, keeping play areas away from driveways, and closely supervising toddlers whenever vehicles are nearby. For prevention tips and statistics, see Kids and Car Safety.
What investigators say
Monroe County deputies say the probe remains ongoing, and they have not released further details about the child’s condition or whether any charges might be pursued. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office records division at (478) 994-7717 or through the office’s online records page. Contact details are listed by the Monroe County Sheriff's Office.
