Great-Grandmother and Toddler Pinned Under Car Rescued in Dramatic Video

Dramatic video footage has shown the moment an elderly woman and a toddler were rescued after being pinned under a car in Florida.

Tampa police were called on Sunday, December 18, to a parking lot at the Arbour Ponds apartment complex on North Dale Mabry Highway after reports of an accident.

According to a police statement, a driver was backing out of a parking spot in a Toyota Corolla when he struck the 80-year-old woman and her 3-year-old great-granddaughter.

The 23-year-old driver told officers that "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," the statement added.

There are almost 9,000 motor vehicle-pedestrian/ bicyclist accidents in Florida every year, according to law firm Dan Newlin Injury Attorneys.

In the clip released by Tampa police, which can be watched at the top of this article, Corporal Lance Baker walks towards the car, where bystanders have gathered in a bid to help the woman and child.

Baker can be heard asking the woman several times if she is OK while kneeling on the ground beside her.

With the help of a bystander, the officer begins to pull the stroller from under the car but stops when the toddler can be heard crying.

The officer starts trying to free the young girl before realizing a strap is holding her in place. "We need a knife, some kind of cutter," he calls out.

Another passer-by cuts the strap so he and the officer can free the child and carry her away from the vehicle. After maneuvering the woman, the group pull her out from under the car.

The police statement continued: "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."

Both were taken to hospital. On Tuesday, the woman was reported to be in a critical condition while the child was stable.

The police statement added that driver "impairment is not believed to be a factor in the crash, and the driver remained at the scene and cooperated with the investigation. The case is still being evaluated for any potential charges or citations."

Lee Bercaw, Tampa's interim chief of police, paid tribute to his officer, saying: "We are proud of Cpl. Baker's quick actions and calmness under pressure while helping this family. This is a shining example of the work Tampa Police officers do every day to protect and serve their community, not knowing if they'll be called upon to save a life or put their own life on the line at any given call for service.

"We 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 with their family."

Newsweek has contacted the Tampa Police Department and Tampa Fire Rescue for further comment.