Horrified onlookers lifted a car off a young child who had been dragged underneath the vehicle in a collision in Salford. The incident sparked a huge emergency services response on Tuesday afternoon (April 26), with the road being closed off and an air ambulance landing nearby shortly before 3.30pm.
The young child, thought to be a boy, aged four, was reportedly caught underneath the vehicle at the busy junction of Liverpool Road and Worsley Road, in Eccles. Members of the public rushed to help, with a group of men seen lifting the car up so that the child could be pulled from underneath, an eyewitness told the Manchester Evening News.
The youngster was rushed to Royal Manchester Children's Hospital by paramedics. They were said to have sustained 'serious injuries' after the collision.
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Amanda James, 45, saw the horror unfold when sat as a passenger in a car waiting in traffic at the junction. It was a busy time of day, with large numbers of families and school children crossing the junction on the journey home from school.
Amanda, who is visiting family in Eccles, saw the youngster 'dragged' underneath the car when on her way to the Trafford Centre. She immediately rushed to stop the driver, before urging shocked members of the public to lift up the car so she could reach the injured child underneath.
Speaking to the Manchester Evening News , she said: "We were sat a few cars behind the junction, it was very busy and there were a lot of people and children crossing over the road. As a car came around the corner, I saw this young child just get pulled underneath.
"Nobody knew what to do, not many people saw at first because it was so busy. I was screaming for people to call 999, and as people realised what had happened, they ran out to help.
"I didn't know who the child was with or anything, I just knew I had to get them out. I called people to help lift the car, and a group of men helped and lifted it up, and I reached underneath and pulled them out.
"I just held them until the ambulance came. They were crying and screaming, so I laid down against the wall and just sat with them as people called the emergency services. It seemed like a lifetime, but in reality it was about five minutes.
"I kept talking, telling them they were so strong and going to be okay. I just couldn't believe what had happened as it was all so fast. I just sprung into action."
Other eyewitnesses told the M.E.N that they had seen the youngster rushed away in an ambulance shortly afterwards, as a heavy police response cordoned off the road for two hours. One person said there were 'at least seven police vehicles' at the scene, as well as an ambulance and air ambulance, which had landed close by.
A spokesperson for the North West Ambulance said: "We took a call at 15:24 today for reports of a person being hit by a car. We sent an ambulance, RRV, advanced paramedic and air ambulance to scene and treated a child with serious injuries and took them to Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital by land ambulance."
In the immediate aftermath, police urged drivers to avoid the area, as huge levels of traffic continued to build. Fire crews also attended the scene to assist police and paramedics. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) have been contacted for more information on the incident.
Greater Manchester Police have not responded to requests for a comment.
