“I’m still shocked he doesn’t have a concussion,” the boys’ mom said while admitting that her sons also share in some of the blame.
PLANO, Texas — A Plano family is sharing a remarkable 10-second video, hoping that the frightening collision of a minivan with an 8-year-old boy will encourage all drivers to just slow down.
Originally posted on the NextDoor app by the boys’ grandmother, the video was captured by a security camera overlooking a driveway and alley at the family’s home in central Plano. They agreed to share the video with the public but asked not to reveal their identity.
Two brothers, 8 and 9, were playing in their driveway Sunday evening. The driveway is on a corner lot connected to an alley: the view of the alley is obscured by a tall backyard fence.
The boys chase after each other into the alley just as a white minivan appears. The 9-year-old gets to the far side of the alley before the vehicle passes. But the 8-year-old is struck by the front left of the vehicle. He is tossed and flipped into the air, landing on the back of his head and neck. But he gets to his feet quickly and he and his brother race back into their house. The female driver immediately steps out and yells “Are you OK?”
“He walked away from the hospital with three band-aids,” said the boy’s mother who admits she didn’t understand the severity of the collision until she saw the video from their backyard security camera.
“My husband showed me the video and at that point, it felt super real and the what-ifs started going through your head. It’s super scary.”
The boy suffered road rash from his impact on the pavement but was remarkably unscathed from the collision with the vehicle. The boy’s mom says the female driver, an older neighbor, walked to their front door apologetically and was shocked by the collision herself. The family has decided not to press charges.
“Both of my kids could have been hit. One of them could have had broken legs. This one that was hit, I’m still shocked he doesn’t have a concussion,” the boys’ mom said while admitting that her sons also share in some of the blame.
The boys’ grandmother originally posted the video on NextDoor, imploring drivers “Please drive slow in the alleyway. This is my grandson and he is ok and this was his fault, but driving slow maybe could prevent a worse outcome.”
“As a parent, my job is to protect them and help them grow up to be good adults. And it does feel like a failure as a parent when your kid does something like this after you’ve told them countless times not to never run into a street or an alley without stopping and looking,” the mom said.
Monday afternoon the 8-year-old was at home resting, watching TV, showing no outward signs of serious injury. Several family members are in the medical field and will continue to monitor him, although doctors have said he appears to have escaped any serious injury.
Meanwhile, the family plans to add warning signs to their end of the alley, imploring drivers to slow down, while also hoping the message reaches a larger audience too.
“And do my part for our alley at least so when people enter and exit they see to drive slow, you know, drive like your kid lives here,” the mom said.