On Monday, August 12, at 7:45 a.m., a mother was involved in a tragic accident while dropping her daughter off at Booker Middle School in Sarasota, as confirmed by the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP).
The incident occurred when the mother, driving a large SUV, accidentally hit her 12-year-old daughter. This happened after the child dropped her bag, and some items fell under the vehicle. As the girl bent down to retrieve them, she moved out of her mother’s view.
Sarasota County Schools Superintendent Terry Connor explained, “Right outside Booker Middle, a parent was dropping off her student. The student bent down to pick up something she had dropped, and the parent accidentally hit the child.”
Kenn Watson from the Florida Highway Patrol added, “The mother stopped immediately when she heard her child scream.”
At the time of the accident, the mother was in the right turn lane in front of the school. Authorities are urging parents to exercise greater caution during drop-off and pick-up times and while driving in school zones.
Watson remarked, “On the very first day of school, we have already experienced a tragedy. We hope this will be a reminder to maintain good spatial awareness around school zones and when letting children out of your vehicle.”
Emergency crews airlifted the 12-year-old to All Children’s Hospital. Watson stated, “This tragedy could have been entirely avoided with more attention and less haste. The incident was not caused by the vehicle’s speed but by someone being rushed and making assumptions. We hope the child will recover from this serious situation.”
