The 12-year-old girl from Florida who was critically injured when her mom accidentally ran her over on her first day of school is now in stable condition.
Senior Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) Trooper Kenneth Watson confirmed the update following the incident, which took place at 7:45 a.m. local time on Monday, Aug. 12 near Booker Middle School in Sarasota.
“Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital has advised that the 12-year-old victim has been upgraded to ‘Stable’ as of 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time,” Watson told PEOPLE on Tuesday, Aug. 13.
“There are no updates on the crash report today,” Watson added.
Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Tampa Bay Times via ZUMA Press Wire
It was previously reported that the girl had been struck by her mother’s car after she was dropped off in the right turn lane on Myrtle Street, citing an FHP release.
Authorities said the student had bent down to pick up some markers and pens she had dropped on the ground after getting out of the passenger side of the vehicle, and that her mother did not realize what her daughter was doing as she began to drive off.
When she “heard her child screaming,” she “immediately stopped,” Watson previously told ABC affiliate WFTS-TV.
The child was airlifted to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg with critical injuries, the FHP’s initial release stated.
A Sarasota County Schools spokesperson previously 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.”
Bridge over Sarasota Bay.
Getty
In a message to families, Booker Middle School principal LaShawn Frost said the crash “serves as a reminder of the importance of following our established safety procedures,” according to WFTS-TV.
“Please remember that students should not be dropped off in the middle of Myrtle Street,” Frost said. “This practice poses a significant risk to our students’ safety and the safety of others on the road.”
The principal added, “We kindly ask that all parents and guardians follow the designated drop-off procedures by using the parent loop. This ensures that students enter the school safely and helps us maintain a secure environment for everyone.”
Watson previously said, per the outlet and Fox 13, “Here we are, day one, and we’ve already had a tragedy.”
“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,” he added.
“You want to avoid being in a hurry and dropping off our kids in the turn lane when we should be directly in front of the school,” Watson continued, WFTS-TV reported. “This is a tragedy that one hundred percent could have been avoided by simply paying a little more attention and not being in a hurry.”
