In a heartbreaking incident on the first day of school, a 12-year-old girl was critically injured after being accidentally run over by her mother during drop-off outside Booker Middle School.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), the accident occurred around 7:45 a.m. as parents and students filled the school grounds for the start of the academic year.
FHP Trooper Kenn Watson reported that the mother had just dropped off her daughter in the right turn lane when the girl, apparently in a rush to retrieve her backpack, crawled under the family’s Lincoln Navigator to collect her belongings that had rolled underneath the vehicle.
Tragically, as the mother began to pull away, she was oblivious to her daughter’s presence. The girl screamed as the vehicle rolled forward, prompting the mother to immediately stop.
Emergency responders airlifted the critically injured girl to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, where she remains under care.
“Here we are, day one, and we’ve already had a tragedy,” Watson stated.
“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.”
In light of the incident, Lashawn Frost, the school’s principal, sent a message to parents emphasizing the importance of adhering to safety protocols during drop-off.
“This serves as a reminder of the importance of following our established safety procedures,” she wrote.
Frost urged parents not to drop off students in the middle of Myrtle Street, as this practice poses significant risks.
The school has made counselors available for students who may need support after witnessing the accident.
Watson reinforced the message, reminding parents to utilize designated drop-off zones rather than the turn lane.
“This is a tragedy that one hundred percent could have been avoided by simply paying a little more attention,” he said.
