12-Year-Old on Road to Recovery After Mom Ran Over Her at School: Trooper

June 2024 · 2 minute read

The 12-year-old student from Florida whose mother accidentally ran her over on the first day of school, is continuing to recover, police tell PEOPLE.

The girl, who has not yet been publicly identified, was previously listed as critically injured after the Aug. 12 incident — which occurred in the right turn lane on Myrtle Street west of Newtown Boulevard at Booker Middle School in Sarasota.

On Thursday, Aug. 15, Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) Trooper Kenn Watson confirmed to PEOPLE that the child was still on the "road to recovery" — and that there has been "a lot of luck" involved in her ongoing recovery given what happened.

Additionally, school officials tell PEOPLE that the school’s leadership team and the district support team are collaborating to support the family.

At 7:45 a.m. local time on Aug. 12, the child’s 30-year-old mother, who has also not been named, was attempting to drop her off for her first day of school, according to a news release from the Florida Highway Patrol, which was previously obtained by PEOPLE.

Unbeknownst to the parent, the student had dropped some markers and pens and bent down to pick them up from under the vehicle, when the mother began to drive off.

The mother “immediately stopped when she heard her child screaming," Watson said, per WFTS-TV. The child was then airlifted to Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg.

Her condition was officially upgraded to "stable" on Tuesday, Aug. 13, according to Watson.

As of Aug. 15, police said that there were no updates on the crash report to share.

Cordon tape — stock image.

Getty

A Sarasota County Schools spokesperson confirmed the accident to PEOPLE, and said, "The school district encourages all families to follow district & school safety protocols and use the designated student pickup and drop off areas on school campuses."

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During a preview interview with local Fox affiliate WTVT, Watson called what happened a tragedy. "

Watson added, "We’re hoping this does not happen again, but we have to remember to have that good spatial awareness when you are anywhere around a school zone and most certainly when you are letting your kid out of your vehicle."

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