photo by: (MCSO)
Bystanders rescued a woman and her toddler from their car, which was partially-submerged in a canal, after a hit and run accident near Stuart.
The woman and her three-year-old boy narrowly escaped serious injuries after the collision, which happened along Kanner Highway around 9 Monday morning. Witnesses told deputies a semi-truck switching lanes hit the car and the car ended up in the water.
“We heard the screech of the tires. We look up and before you know it we saw a red car into the canal next to our project,” said JC, an employee of GA Construction Group.
C was working in the turn lanes of a construction project for a new Costco store on Kanner Highway in Stuart when he saw a car in a canal.
He and several others rushed over to help the woman and her toddler, who was in a child car seat in the backseat of the car.
“We noticed that there was two individuals in the car. There was a young baby and the driver which I assume was the mother. The first thing we did was get the baby out because the back end of the car was sticking up,” C explained.
C says he stood on the canal bank, while another bystander went into the water to get the three-year-old boy out of the partially submerged car and then rescue the mother.
“He went into the car, handed the child up to another worker and then it was her time to get out so then I stepped in and helped too, as the car was startin’ to move so we had to really get her out of there, extract her quickly,” C said.
Csays the water inside the car was up to the mother’s knees. He feels within five to ten minutes the car would’ve been completely under water.
“They helped her get out and then I was on the shore, on the bank and he handed her to me and then we walked her up to the shore,” C said.
The Martin County Sheriff’s Office says the semi-truck driver, AW, 69, left the scene but was stopped by Stuart Police a few minutes later.
“He was apologetic. He knew he hit something, says he didn’t know exactly what he hit but he did know he struck something and continued. I believe he said he saw the tire roll in the roadway. He just decided not to stop,” said Sgt. JB. “Did he say why he didn’t stop?” we asked. “He did not,” Sgt. B said.
C is glad he could do something to help the woman and her child.
“I think we all should be each other’s keeper. I mean when you see someone in distress you should go into action, within reason, to try to help them so we should be helping one another. That’s what we should be doing as American citizens, as human beings,” C said.
Winters is charged with fleeing the scene of a crash with injuries and fleeing the scene of a crash with property damage.
The woman and her child were taken to a hospital with minor injuries. We’ve asked the Martin County Sheriff’s Office for an update on their condition and we’re waiting for a response.
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Source: cbs12
