On Sunday, tragedy struck in the parking lot of an apartment complex in Tampa, Florida.
An 80-year-old great-grandmother and her 3-year-old great-granddaughter were returning from some grocery shopping when a car backed over them, pinning them underneath.
The driver of the Toyota Camry claims he thought he’d backed over a storm drain and didn’t see the woman pushing the stroller while he was backing out.
The Tampa Police Department shared the harrowing details of the accident on their Facebook page.
“The driver struck the victims as he was backing out of a parking spot,” the Tampa Police Department shared on Tuesday.
“He said he did not see the woman pushing the child in a stroller as they returned from the grocery store and accidentally backed his vehicle over both victims.
“After feeling a bump, the driver said he assumed it was a large storm drain and attempted to pull forward. When the vehicle did not move, he became aware that he had struck someone.”
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Multiple bystanders rushed to help. Some got a jack and managed to lift the front of the car up, but they decided not to move the victims because they were afraid of injuring them further, according to the New York Post.
Cpl. Baker arrived on the scene and helped clear the area directly around the woman, who was not responsive at the time.
Video of the rescue was shared on the Tampa Police Department’s page — but it’s hard to watch, even though the department said both victims survived the initial accident.
The officer and firefighters who responded managed to cut the girl free from the stroller and take her to a waiting ambulance before also freeing the woman.
“Had it not been for the quick actions of Cpl. Baker, good Samaritans and Tampa Fire Rescue firefighters, a grandmother and a young child may not have made it out of this accident alive!” the caption on the bodycam video reads.
“Body-worn camera captured the rescue on Sunday, December 18, as #YourTampaPD responded to a pedestrian-involved car accident in the parking lot of the Arbor Ponds Apartment Complex…”
WARNING: The following video contains content that some readers may find disturbing.
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According to the New York Post, the girl was listed in stable condition, but the great-grandmother was in critical condition. No updates have been shared.
Many people would like an explanation from the driver, not believing that someone could be so careless and not realize they had hit someone, but the New York Post reports that the driver was not impaired at the time of the incident and that charges are not likely to be filed.
“We are proud of Cpl. Baker’s quick actions and calmness under pressure while helping this family,” Interim Chief of Police Lee Bercaw said.
“This is a shining example of the work Tampa Police officers do every day to protect and serve their community, not knowing if they’ll be called upon to save a life or put their own life on the line at any given call for service.
“We are thankful for the good Samaritans and Tampa firefighters who also jumped into action to help make sure this grandmother and young child will get a chance to see another Christmas this week.”
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
