A child was airlifted in critical condition Saturday afternoon after being run over by a lawn mower near Cary. Authorities are saying it appears to be a “tragic accident.”
Courtesy of the Cary Fire Protection District
A 3⅟₂-year-old child who had a portion of his leg severed after being run over by a lawn mower Saturday near Cary remains hospitalized in critical condition, authorities said.
Lake County authorities are investigating the incident, but said Sunday it does not appear to be a criminal matter.
“It does appear to be a tragic accident,” Lake County sheriff’s Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said. “We want the family to be focused on the child’s recovery, but we will review the incident with the state’s attorney’s office.”
The Cary Fire Protection District was called at 12:41 p.m. Saturday to the 28700 block of West Kristy Lane, where paramedics found a young child who they determined “had been run over by an industrial-style lawn mower,” Cary Fire Protection District spokesperson Alex Vucha wrote in a news release.
“Paramedics immediately continued lifesaving treatment and loaded the child into an awaiting ambulance,” Vucha wrote.
The child was rushed by ambulance to the Mercyhealth Crystal Lake Hospital helipad then airlifted in critical condition to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood.
The child’s leg was severed significantly, Covelli said.
“It appears the 3⅟₂-year-old was riding on the mower with his father,” Covelli said. “The mower is an industrial-type lawn mower that requires an operator to stand up.”
Covelli said authorities believe the child initially was in front of the father. When the father began to back up, the child either jumped off or fell off, and the father didn’t notice, he said.
“Fortunately, a neighbor ran over with a T-shirt and used it as a makeshift tourniquet and applied that tourniquet right above the wound, which stopped the bleeding and very well could have saved the child’s life,” Covelli said.
“It serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of lawn mowers and children and the fact that a child should never be riding on a lawn mower when it’s operational.”
Gerald Steele is the founder of Stonegate Health Rehab. He shares expert insights, recovery tips, and rehab resources to support individuals on their journey to wellness.