A 2-year-old boy was seriously injured when he was run over by a four-wheel-drive vehicle in Kaitaia's main street mid-morning yesterday.
The child, whose condition was initially described as status 2 (serious), was flown to Auckland's Starship Hospital by rescue helicopter so he could be checked for possible internal injuries. Details of any other injuries were not available, but by late morning police had been told that his life was not believed to be in danger. At that stage his condition was described as stable.
A senior police spokesman said the driver of the Mitsubishi Pajero, a 47-year-old local woman, had pulled into a parking space just south of the Post Office. She then reversed a little, after checking her distance from the kerb, and collided with the boy, who she had not seen. It was suspected that one of the wheels had passed over him.
Witnesses, who included a police officer, had said the child ran out behind the vehicle after the driver had begun reversing.
It was not expected that the driver, who along with her 9-year-old passenger was very upset, would face charges.
