A Perth mother has spoken of the horror of a 4×4 driver towing a van who ran over her son in a caravan park, thinking he was an obstacle.
Emma and Ryan Galloway were staying in the crowded camp in Esperance, Western Australia, with their sons Archie and Parker, now aged 7 and 4.
On the night of January 10, 2023, Parker asked if he could go “one more ride” on his scooter before dinner.
When Parker, then 2 years old, crossed the street, a man in a LandCruiser pulling a trailer didn’t see the boy as he looked for a parking spot.
Parker was hit by the front and rear wheels of the vehicle and was covered by a blanket under the car when his parents and brother arrived at the scene to see what the commotion was.
Parker Galloway (pictured) was hit by a LandCruiser pulling a trailer at a caravan park in Esperance, WA, in January 2023.
Parents Emma (left) and Ryan (center) Galloway are pictured with Parker, who is now 4 years old.
“He was conscious but not really responsive, so we lay with him under the car until the ambulance came and took him to the hospital,” Galloway said.
“The driver hit Parker with his bullbar and then ran him over with his front wheel. Then he passed over him again. He just thought it was an obstacle,” he told The Flying Doctor Podcast.
“It was a really unfortunate moment. Nobody’s fault. But there were several witnesses who saw the whole thing. It was horrible”.
If there can be any good luck in a tragedy of this type, the Galloways had it: the first people to arrive at the scene were a pediatrician, a nurse and a midwife.
Parker’s mother said they were the first group of angels to care for her son.
“He was face down and he was conscious but he was moaning. He was moving his head slightly but he couldn’t speak. At the time, we didn’t know what had happened,” Mrs Galloway said.
When Parker arrived at the local hospital, doctors discovered the severity of his injuries and airlifted him to Perth Children’s Hospital for treatment that was not available in Esperance.
He was brought to Perth by the Royal Flying Doctor Service, the second group of angels who helped save Parker.
Parker (pictured) was hit by the front and rear wheels of the vehicle and was covered by a blanket under the car when his parents and brother arrived at the scene.
The Galloways were very lucky that the first people to arrive at the scene were a pediatric doctor, a nurse and a midwife. Parker is pictured after the ordeal.
“It was very inspiring to see them stabilize it during that flight and work in such a small space,” Ms Galloway said.
“I still didn’t really know what was going on and there was a lot of noise there… and they were so beautiful to me because I was obviously very upset.”
“From the moment they met you, they made you feel very comfortable and although no doctor can say everything will be okay, you knew you were in good hands.”
A full body scan showed he had a broken pelvis in three places, a broken arm, internal bleeding and a laceration to his liver.
The distraught parents feared the worst, but their brave son survived.
He was in the hospital for four weeks, but because of his injuries he “just had to lie down” in bed, which was very difficult for everyone, his mother said.
‘There were times when I was just screaming all night. But he just watched TV, that was all we could do. “It was heartbreaking to see,” he said.
Mom and dad took turns staying with Parker all night, watching over him while the other slept at home.
When he finally recovered enough to be discharged, he still needed to use a wheelchair until he could move easily again.
Police, who later viewed CCTV footage of the crash, told the Galloways that “it really is a miracle that you survived.”
Emma believes the way Parker’s scooter landed in front of him on the road may have absorbed some of the vehicle’s weight.
Parker (pictured) spent four weeks in hospital and had to use a wheelchair for a time after being discharged.
Parker (pictured) still has some problems walking and moving and has checks every six months.
“It was very, very lucky,” he said.
Parker still has some problems walking and moving and has checkups every six months.
But he’s back on the scooter and “jumping” like any other four-year-old.
“Now he just loves life,” Emma said.