Some of you may have seen my tweets on Saturday afternoon about almost running over a child.
We had just left home and were on our way to the shops. There was a car parked on the left hand side of the road and as I approached it a small boy, maybe 5 years old, opened the back door and ran across the road. I slammed on brakes and swerved slightly to the left. I came to a full stop just as the boy reached the right hand corner of my bonnet, I did hit him, hard enough to knock him down. He jumped right up and carried on running across the road.
I cant even begin to imagine what might have happened. My blood runs cold just thinking about it. If I had been looking at my phone or had turned for even a second to look at my kids in the back the situation could have turned out differently.
I pulled over to the left of the road so I could get out and see if the boy was ok and while I was doing that Paul was watching him. Apparently someone on the other side of the road gave this little guy a massive smack when he got to the other side. By the time I got out the car a woman had picked him up and had come across the road to crap on the boys dad for not locking the doors and watching his kids.
The little boy was sobbing his eyes out mostly from the smack he got. The boys dad wouldnt make eye contact with me and wouldnt respond to the verbal lashing he was getting from this woman. I hope that he wasnt talking because he was in shock and not because he didnt care. The woman assured me that the little boy was ok and we made him walk so that we could see if he was injured.
She then asked if my car was damaged. OMG! Woman, I dont care about the damn car!
We swapped numbers and I called her later that evening to see if the boy was ok. She said he was fine and that they would carry on watching him and let me know if anything changed.
Needless to say, I gave Aaron a huge lecture on running across roads and about looking out for cars and only crossing if he was holding an adults hand. I think he got quite a fright too when I slammed on brakes.
Please please please be careful when you drive. Dont send texts or check mails, dont take your eyes off the road. Be aware of what is around you.
Please please please teach your children road safety. Make sure they understand the dangers. Scare the crap out of them if you have to.
I so know how you feel. Last week Thursday, I too have almost run over a child and it was not even my fault by a child who do not know road safety. And when a driver to run over a child who does not know road safety, then it is the driver’s fault which I think is unfair in every aspect.
Sjoe. Gina. I missed these tweets!
Reading this actually made me feel so anxious. My DH and I were talking the other day about road rules and people drinking and driving. I told him that I don’t drive drunk but I do text and tweet while I am driving. And that this is just as bad, if not worse. I am now at the point where I put my phone away in my bag (in the boot of my car) while I am driving. I’ve only just started doing this and have no plans to answer my phone or text or tweet while driving ever again!
Poor little boy. He must have got such a fright!
OMW gina you must have got such a fright!
Oh gosh Gina, that must have been so scary. Poor kid (for the smack he got) I think he got a big enough fright just from the hit. And you! Gosh, what a fright.
OMw how frightening, and the funny thing is this nearly happened to us yesterday too. We were standing outside Lance’s moms house in Parys about to leave, and Connor started running across the road… right in front of a car… OMW I screamed like a banshee and he stopped thankfully.
This is one of my worst nightmares! I’m so glad the little guy was okay – I can’t imagine how horrible this must have been, even just thinking of what might have happened!
Holy shit Gina this is one of my biggest fears!! Thank god everything worked out. Before I reverse my car I will check EVERY time to ensure there is no one behind me. Thank goodness everyone is okay
So scary! This is one of my fears.
I always lock everything in the boot – the car is my time 🙂 and I don’t want to be interrupted by the outside world.
Are you alright now, or still shaken?
These things happen so quickly!!!
Kiara, at 7, STILL just doesnt think. As soon as she gets out the car I grab her hand, remind her to look or tell her to stand still.
This is hectic and just shows how quickly an accident can happen. Also a good reminder (for me especially) not to get distracted whilst driving. Glad the little guy is okay.
Oh my god!
I am so glad for you and for them all that it wasn’t serious.
Oh wow- I’m glad everyone is okay! Traffic and pedestrians are one of my biggest stressors since moving here from the USA. It seems like it is every woman/man for themselves sometimes!
Take care.
Oh my gosh! Glad the little guy is fine. And glad that you had super quick actions.
Thank heavens it turned out the way it did and the little boy wasn’t hurt!
I had something similar happen to me this year in our complex. I knocked over a 10 year old on his bicycle. He came around a corner at full speed right into the front of my car, luckily I was going less than 20 km’s and I managed to brake quite easily. He was also unhurt but I remember being shaken for days afterwards.
Flip gina, that is so hectic! I once had a huge dog run into my car, and I was totally rattled for weeks afterwards (even tho the dog ran off and I was left with a HUGE dent in my car!) … Can’t begin to imagine how scary it must have been for all involved. Glad u had ur eyes on the road and quick reflexes!