Police and good Samaritans rescue great-grandmother and child trapped under car
Riley Chloe
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Police in Tampa released bodycam footage showing the rescue of a great-grandmother and small child who were trapped under a car after a driver ran them over while backing out of a parking lot.ย
On Sunday, Tampa Police and Fire Rescue responded to report of a pedestrian-involved car accident in the parking lot of an apartment complex and found an 80-year-old woman and her 3-year-old great-granddaughter pinned beneath a Toyota Corolla.ย
โผ๏ธ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐โผ๏ธ Had it not been for the quick actions of Cpl. Baker, good Samaritans and Tampa Fire Rescue firefighters, a grandmother and a young child may not have made it out of this accident alive!
Body-worn camera captured the rescue on Sunday, December 18, as #YourTampaPD responded to a pedestrian-involved car accident in the parking lot of the Arbor Ponds Apartment Complex at ๐2901 N Dale Mabry Highway. An 80-year-old woman and her 3-year-old great-granddaughter were pinned beneath a car.
The driver struck the victims as he was backing out of a parking spot. He said he did not see the woman pushing the child in a stroller as they returned from the grocery store and accidentally backed his vehicle over both victims. After feeling a bump, the driver said he assumed it was a large storm drain and attempted to pull forward. When the vehicle did not move, he became aware that he had struck someone.
With the help of neighbors, who used a hydraulic jack to raise the car from the ground before first responders arrived, Cpl. Baker was able to pull grocery items out from between the woman and the car, allowing her to breathe. He worked with firefighters to cut the child out of her stroller, and ultimately, pull both victims to safety.
According to police, the pair were returning from the grocery store when a driver accidentally hit the two while backing out of a parking spot.ย
โAfter feeling a bump, the driver said he assumed it was a large storm drain and attempted to pull forward. When the vehicle did not move, he became aware that he had struck someone,โ police said.ย
A group of unidentified good Samaritans used a hydraulic jack to raise the car before first responders even arrived.ย
Once at the scene, police Cpl. Lance Baker helped the woman stuck under the car to breathe by removing grocery store items from between the woman and the car, police said. Baker also worked with firefighters to cut the child out of her stroller, before they were able to safely remove both of them from under the vehicle.ย
First responders cut the child out of her stroller before safely removing her and her great-grandmother from under the vehicle.ย
Tampa Police
In a statement, Interim Chief of Police Lee Barcaw applauded Baker for his poise under pressure and suggested that the 80-year-old and great-granddaughter are on the mend for the upcoming holidays.ย
โWe are proud of Cpl. Bakerโs quick actions and calmness under pressure while helping this family,โ Barcaw said. โWe are thankful for the good Samaritans and Tampa firefighters who also jumped into action to help make sure this grandmother and young child will get a chance to see another Christmas this week.โ
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