DPW Workers Lift Car Off 3-Year-Old Girl After Crash In Worcester
WORCESTER (CBS) - It was a distressing scene on Chandler Street in Worcester, a mangled stroller and two damaged vehicles. Police say a grandmother and her three-year-old granddaughter were waiting at a crosswalk when they were struck by a silver sedan, the child was pushed right under the vehicle.
Nearby Worcester DPW workers sprang into action and lifted the car. "It was difficult, it took some manpower like five or six guys. We picked it up and the child was laying under it," said worker Cody Hall. "You're just trying to help someone, the heart was pumping, the blood was pumping. The strength was there when we needed it."
Police say another vehicle had stopped at the crosswalk to let the woman and child pass. That's when they say the silver vehicle rear-ended the car, with no apparent skid marks that the driver tried to stop, even toppling a crosswalk pole.
"The car spiraled out of control into the crosswalk," said Worcester Police Lt. Sean Murtha.
Hall says the child was bleeding from the mouth and saw the grandmother bleeding from the neck. They were both hospitalized, the grandmother undergoing surgery for serious injuries to her legs.
Police say it's a too familiar scene, drivers either distracted or following too close. In this case they say it's fortunate the injuries weren't more serious.
"If they were trapped under the tires it would have been very different," said Lt. Murtha.
The Worcester city manager released a statement praising "the employees who reacted selflessly in an emergency situation. Their immediate response and thoughtful actions prevent a more tragic outcome and serve as a source of pride for our entire City."
DPW worker Cody Hall says don't call him a hero. "I did what anybody should have done, could have done," Hall said.