A 12-year-old girl from Florida is reported to be in critical condition after she was accidentally run over by her mom during her first day back at school.
On Monday, Aug. 12 at approximately 7:45 a.m. local time, the mother headed to Booker Middle School in Sarasota to drop her daughter off, the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) confirmed, per WFTS-TV.
The student dropped her backpack and went to pick up some school supplies that had rolled under her mom’s SUV, the outlet added. Tragically, however, the youngster’s mom didn’t realize what her daughter was doing and began to drive off, running her over, the publication continued.
“She immediately stopped when she heard her child screaming,” FHP Trooper Kenn Watson told WFTS-TV.
Watson didn’t immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
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Per WWSB, the student was airlifted to hospital with critical injuries. FOX 13 Tampa Bay stated the incident took place in the right turn lane on Myrtle Street west of Newtown Boulevard.
WFTS-TV added that the 12-year-old had been taken to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg.
Watson said, per the outlet and Fox 13, “Here we are, day one, and we’ve already had a tragedy.”
“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 and most certainly when you are letting your kid out of your vehicle.”
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“You want to avoid being in a hurry and dropping off our kids in the turn lane when we should be directly in front of the school,” Watson continued, the publication reported.
“This is a tragedy that one hundred percent could have been avoided by simply paying a little more attention and not being in a hurry.”
Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, the Sarasota Police Department and Booker Middle School’s principal Dr. LaShawn Frost didn’t immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for comment.
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Per WFTS-TV, the school’s principal Frost sent a message to parents confirming the accident.
“This serves as a reminder of the importance of following our established safety procedures,” Frost said, according to the outlet.
“Please remember that students should not be dropped off in the middle of Myrtle Street. This practice poses a significant risk to our students’ safety and the safety of others on the road. We kindly ask that all parents and guardians follow the designated drop-off procedures by using the parent loop. This ensures that students enter the school safely and helps us maintain a secure environment for everyone,” the principal added.
