Eastern District Police would like to remind motorists to exercise caution around driveways and footpaths, following an incident involving a young child in Napier over the weekend.
At around 8.30am on Saturday a 3-year-old child was run over by a reversing vehicle in Greenmeadows, Napier.
The child had been riding a bicycle on a footpath with her parents, who were walking behind her.
The parents spotted the vehicle reversing from a driveway and managed to slow the driver down, however he didn¡¯t have enough time to completely stop and the child was struck as a result.
Luckily, the child had been wearing a bike helmet and only received minor scrapes and bruises
Senior Sergeant Mike Stevenson, from the Eastern District Command Centre, says it is a timely reminder for the drivers to exercise caution around driveways and footpaths.
¡°As a driver, it is your responsibility to make sure the area around your vehicle is safe, especially around residential driveways where children could be playing,¡± he says.
¡°It is easy for young children to disappear below normal vehicle sightlines and blind spots so drivers need to ensure the space is clear around them.
¡°Children are most vulnerable to vehicles when they are moving in and out of driveways, so please take care and take your time when backing out.¡±
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
