WELLSVILLE — A 4-year-old boy is still hospitalized, but eating chocolate pudding and ice cream as he recovers from being run over accidentally by his mother's minivan.

Lt. Brian Locke of the Cache County Sheriff's office said the victim, Phillip Lee, and his mother, Joanna, were delivering Boy Scout fliers to homes in Wellsville Wednesday afternoon. She didn't realize her son had gotten out of the minivan while she was at the door of a home.

When Joanna returned to the van, she backed out of the driveway, and felt it run over something. She got out, and it appears the front wheel had run over Phillip's torso.

Deseret News:

A trend that won't stop: Children run over by vehicles

Joanna Lee stopped the car and opened her door. Her little boy was on the ground. The front, driver's side tire had run over Phillip's torso. It was the worst of all possible events, and it's something that happens in Utah about once a week.

"My wife thought that he was at the door with one of the Scouts, and so she was pulling up to the next house and felt the bump," said Eric Lee, Phillip's father. "He's short enough, and she just really couldn't see him."

She immediately called 911 as she started driving her son to Logan Regional Hospital. She was met by an ambulance at the Arby's at the south end of town.

The Lees call their son's survival a miracle and a blessing.

"We just really want to give the glory to God," Eric said. "We just think it's a real miracle."

He has stitches and bandages covering most of his body, but doctors haven't found any broken bones yet.

Lt. Locke said a CAT scan was done to check for internal injuries, but the boy appears unharmed.

"You go out on a dozen of these and every one of them are fatal," he said. "We're happy to report they'll probably just keep him overnight for observation but he looks like he's doing OK."

Related topics