A four-year-old boy sustained life-threatening injuries on Friday afternoon, just minutes before the start of Shabbat, when he was struck by a vehicle reversing in a residential parking area. According to initial reports, the driver was maneuvering backward in the parking space and apparently did not see the small child standing nearby.
Immediately following the severe impact, family members placed the critically injured boy in their private vehicle and drove him directly to a neighborhood medical clinic, bypassing the emergency call system. The child arrived at the facility suffering from extremely serious injuries and in critical condition.
Staff at the medical center immediately contacted the Magen David Adom emergency dispatch center, which sent paramedic teams racing to the scene. Upon arrival, the medical crews found the boy unconscious, without pulse and not breathing due to the severity of his injuries. The teams immediately began advanced life-saving procedures, conducting complex and prolonged resuscitation efforts on site.
After initial stabilization, the child was transferred to an intensive care ambulance and rushed to a hospital trauma unit under emergency conditions. Paramedics and EMTs continued fighting to save his life throughout the evacuation and upon arrival at the hospital.
Officers from Jerusalem District's Shfat police station opened an intensive investigation to determine the exact circumstances that led to the accident. Multiple police units arrived at the parking area to interview family members and witnesses present at the scene. A police traffic accident examiner was also dispatched to the site to collect physical evidence, examine tire marks, and assess sight lines and the angle of the reversing maneuver in order to understand how the collision occurred and whether a blind spot prevented the driver from seeing the child.
The public has been asked to pray for the boy's complete and speedy recovery.
