Influencer Kelly Hopton-Jones’s son is recovering after she accidentally ran over him while driving.
The content creator said in an April 15 Instagram post that what started out as a “normal day” took a turn for the worse when she accidentally drove over her son, Henry, while she was leaving home with her daughter, Lily.
Hopton-Jones said her husband “helped Lily into the car and was waving goodbye between our car and Henry, who was in the garage.”
“In a matter of seconds, our son was run over by our car. I was driving,” Hopton-Jones wrote on Instagram.
After being rushed to the hospital, Henry, who is turning 2 years old next month, has a fractured pelvis but is overall OK after the accident, Hopton-Jones said.
Hopton-Jones, who is also a pediatric nurse practitioner, runs the Instagram account @hillside_farmhouse, where she shares content about motherhood with her more than 60,000 followers.
‘We’re on the lucky side of a very tragic accident’
Hopton-Jones said she and her family are “in shock” but “so incredibly grateful” that the toddler is recovering.
“We keep replaying it, trying to understand how this could have happened when we were right there,” she wrote alongside a photo of holding her son’s hand.
She continued: “Non negotiable to hold or hold hands with young children around vehicles. Do not assume they know or will stay where you last saw them.”
In the caption, Hopton-Jones noted that “accidents happen, and the only mistakes are the ones we don’t learn from.”
“We’re on the lucky side of a very tragic accident,” she added.
Some shared their support in the comments.
Emilie Kiser, an influencer whose son died in an accidental drowning last year, commented: “I’m so incredibly sorry.”
How to prevent car backover accidents with children
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 200 children die and 15,000 are injured every year in backover crashes, which typically occur when a vehicle backs over an unattended child because the driver did not see them.
To prevent backover accidents and keep kids safe, the agency recommends the following tips:
- Teach children not to play in or around cars.
- Always walk around your vehicle and check the area around it before backing up.
- Be aware of small children – the smaller a child, the more likely it is you will not see them.
- Teach children to move away from a vehicle when a driver gets in it or if the car is started.
- Have children in the area stand to the side of the driveway or sidewalk so you can see them as you are backing out of a driveway or parking space.
- Make sure to look behind you while backing up slowly in case a child dashes behind your vehicle unexpectedly.
- Roll down your windows while backing out of your driveway or parking space so that you’ll be able to hear what is happening outside of your vehicle.
- Teach your children to keep their toys and bikes out of the driveway.
- Because kids can move unpredictably, actively check your mirrors while backing up.
- Do not solely rely on backup cameras or warning signals in your car.
Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. Keep up with her on X @melinakh and Instagram @bymelinakhan.
