Toddler stable after driveway accident

Police at the scene where a toddler was run over in a driver. Photo / Daniel Hines

A toddler is in a critical but stable condition after being run over in a driveway yesterday.

A neighbour said the 18-month-old's mother went to the garage and the toddler ran after her at the home in Massey Rd, Mangere.

"The older boy called out 'watch out for the baby' but the driver didn't hear," the neighbour said. "The car hit the baby. Everyone started screaming."

The child was taken to Middlemore Hospital with serious injuries, but was later transported to Starship.

A Starship spokesman said the baby was stable, but remained in a critical condition.

It is the fourth time a child has been run over in the past eight months. Two weeks ago 3-year-old Valentina Grace Warren was killed by a vehicle in her Te Atatu, West Auckland, driveway.

In March, toddler Mila Tamihana was found in her Cartmel Ave driveway in Massey with fatal injuries after being hit by a car.

Te Manawa Whetuki Renata, 23 months old, died after being hit by a vehicle in the driveway of his Papatoetoe, South Auckland home in April.

According to Safekids, one child on average is hit by a car every month in Auckland driveways and five children a year are killed in driveway accidents across the country.

- additional reporting Herald on Sunday