Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SANDY -- Three Sandy teens are being hailed as heroes for lifting a car off a toddler who was struck in the driveway of his home Thursday morning.
Police say a 20-year-old woman, who also lives at the home near 8400 South and 900 East, was leaving for work around 9:30 when 2-year-old Isaac Johnson ran behind the car. The woman backed over the child, dragging him about 15 feet down the driveway.
The driver got out of the car, realized what had happened and started screaming. Keaton Chritchlow, 16, and his two friends had just returned from high school registration when they heard the commotion.
"Everyone was running around and screaming," he said. "I thought it was a water fight at first."
When the boys ran across the street, they saw the little boy trapped under the car, a Chevrolet Cobalt. The teens dropped everything and lifted the front end of the car so someone could pull the boy out from underneath the front tires.
"What we did was lift up the front end of the car while somebody grabbed the baby from under it, that it was pinned under," Critchlow said. "They just got a towel under it and called 911."
"They ran over and they just helped me lift it up, and I just dove under the car and drug him out," said Desteny Rodriguez, the driver of the car. "I wouldn't have been able to do it without them. It was a blessing."
"It was just a natural reaction," said Chritchlow's friend, Brandon Estrada. "We had to do it. I said, ‘We just have to do it,' and we did."
Chritchlow agreed. "Anyone else would have done the same thing," he said.
Police say because of past stories of kids being run over in driveways, the driver actually checked to see if any children were behind her before pulling out, but the boy was just too quick.
"Unfortunately, this is one of those situations where they took time to look behind the car, knowing the circumstances and knowing it's a neighborhood with a lot of kids," said Sgt. Troy Arnold with Sandy police. "But as we all know, kids are quick."
It was just a natural reaction. We had to do it. I said, ‘We just have to do it,' and we did.
–Brandon Estrada
Issac was flown to the hospital with very serious injuries. Police say he was crying and fighting with medical crews when they arrived, which is a good sign he will recover from his injuries.
Chritchlow says the impact of the situation didn't hit him until he had returned home.
"All of us were just talking about it and how real it actually was and that it actually happened. It was definitely traumatizing," he said.
"I'm still kind of in shock because it all happened in a matter of seconds," said James Anderson, the third teen who helped lift the car.
Police say the situation could have been much worse had it not been for the three teenage boys who came to the rescue. They say this should serve as another reminder for parents to hold on to their children when there are cars nearby.
-----
Story compiled with contributions from Sandra Yi and Mary Richards.
