7-Year-Old Girl Seriously Injured After Being Hit by Truck When She Went Into Road to Retrieve Ball
"She's doing remarkable for what her little body, the trauma that it has endured," said her aunt, Kate Story
Go Fund Me
Emery Burrows.A 7-year-old Utah girl was seriously injured on Sunday when she was hit by a pickup truck after chasing a ball into the street.
According to St. George Police, officers responded around 8 p.m. local time to the area of 900 South Morningside Drive for a traffic accident with injuries.
The girl, identified on GoFundMe as Emery Burrows, was hit by a car after she "kicked a soccer ball into the roadway," according to police. "She ran out to grab the ball and was struck by a pickup truck," police said, adding that Burrows had "significant" injuries and was rushed to a local hospital.
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"The driver of the truck remained on scene and cooperated with the investigation," the department added.
Burrows had been playing soccer with her brother in the front lawn of their home when the ball landed in the road, her family told NBC affiliate KSL-TV and St.GeorgeNews.com.
The 7-year-old then waited until the roadway was clear, but she didn't see the truck coming, per the reports. KSL-TV reported the driver is a neighbor who allegedly didn't see her either.
"It was one of those things where it's like, 'Oh, it's not really Emery's fault. It's definitely not this guy's fault,'" Kate Story, the 7-year-old's aunt, told the station. "It's just a tragedy."
According to the aunt, Emery's injuries are "life-threatening," with a skull fracture that extended from "ear to ear," causing a brain bleed, per St.GeorgeNews.com. The girl also needed surgery after her right tibia was severely damaged, the reports noted.
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However, her aunt shared that she's showing signs of progress.
"She's doing remarkable for what her little body, the trauma that it has endured," Story said, per St.GeorgeNews.com.
By Monday night, Emery had even been able to speak a few words after she was taken off sedation and able to breathe on her own, the outlet reported. But the family said she's still in and out of consciousness.
Emery's aunt characterized her to St.GeorgeNews.com as "fierce," while her mother, Trit Borrowman, asked for prayers in an update on her daughter's GoFundMe page. "She is such a fighter and the strongest little girl I've ever met," she wrote. "Please pray for my tiny girl to make a full recovery so she can get back to dancing, playing soccer and loving on her puppies."
Borrowman added, "Please also pray for my neighbor that hit her, that he and his wife will be able to heal from this tragedy as well. Thank you."
As of Wednesday morning, more than $9,000 had been raised with the goal of covering related expenses following the crash.
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