Waikato Hospital staff were today trying to wake up a two-year-old girl seriously injured after being hit by a car yesterday.
Toddler Ngamihi Emery was struck metres from her Hamilton home as she chased after her mother who'd gone to the dairy across the road.
She was rushed
to hospital in a critical but stable condition.
A Waikato Hospital spokeswoman said staff were hopeful Ngamihi would recover.
"She's still in intensive care and on a breathing machine but the plan is to wake her up and see how she handles it," she said.
"Her condition hasn't deteriorated and we think she should be okay. She's got some injuries but nothing too complicated."
Ngamihi's mother, Moana Emery, was too upset to speak last night but her grand-mother, Mel Emery, told the Herald on Sunday: "I'm blaming myself."
She had been looking after her four grandchildren while Moana went to the shop, but left them alone for a few moments to peg out washing, locking the door behind her. The toddler had carried a chair to the front door, climbed up and unlocked it.
"She's a tricky little one," Mel Emery choked through tears.
Witness Sissy Taingahue watched in horror as the toddler stood on the street corner before walking in front of oncoming traffic.
"I was going to go out and get her. Then she walked out and it was too late."
Motorists stopped to attend to the young girl, whose distraught mother came running from a nearby shop.
The Serious Crash Unit was investigating yesterday but acting Hamilton Senior Sergeant Pete Whittaker said there was no suggestion the driver of the car had been speeding.
