Raglan child's critical injuries prompts warning from Waikato Police

A parent’s worst nightmare that should serve as a reminder to motorists on the eve of students returning to school is how a senior Waikato Police officer describes an incident in Raglan that left a boy fighting for his life.

District Road Policing Manager, Inspector Freda Grace, said emergency services were called to a driveway on Raglan’s Stewart St about 9.45am after reports a car leaving a driveway had collided with a boy riding a bike on the footpath.   “Fire, ambulance and police staff arrived to find a six-year-old boy and his bike pinned under the car with the boy having suffered serious injuries.   “A combined team have raised the vehicle and extracted the boy who was flown by helicopter to Waikato Hospital in a serious condition. Our Serious Crash Unit is investigating the crash and initial indications are the car was coming out of the driveway of what is known locally as Stewart Village and collided with the car.”   Mrs Grace said the male driver of the car was shaken but unhurt in the crash.   “As a parent I know that this type of incident is every parent’s worst nightmare, you’re left with all these what ifs. It’s important to ensure that when children are riding they are safe and high visibility clothing and helmets are a must to preventing injury.    “Tomorrow a number of schools across the Waikato welcome back their first students and many of them will be sharing the road with motorists riding bikes or as pedestrians and we ask drivers to be mindful of this.”   Mrs Grace said all the messages over the summer still apply and with two holiday weekends approaching it will be important to treat the road as a social environment with the returning students.   “After all we all want to reach the beach this holiday weekend so when out riding, driving or walking our advice is where the appropriate safety equipment and check- then check again.”   End