LAYTON, Utah — More than a dozen Layton Christian Academy students sprang into action after a mother and her two toddlers were pinned underneath a car in the school parking lot.
Shortly before 4 p.m. on Dec. 5, Bridgette Ponson, an employee at the church’s daycare, and her two-year-old son and three-year-old daughter were hit by a car while walking across the parking lot, Fox 13 reports. Surveillance footage from the school shows students running toward the scene and working together to lift the vehicle. Hill Air Force Base Senior Airman Dominique Childress was also on campus and rushed over to help.
“I noticed legs come out and I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh, there’s an actual child under this car,’ so I was like, ‘Hey, guys, switch it up, let’s get the car high enough so we can get the kid out,'” he described. “Somebody came, pulled the kid out and mom was able to get out 15 seconds later.”
Ponson and her daughter, who was able to crawl out from underneath the vehicle with just minor injuries, were taken to a local hospital via ambulance. Head of Schools Chris Crowder said the mother took the brunt of the injuries as she was cradling her son to protect him. The boy was airlifted to Primary Children’s Hospital with serious injuries. All are expected to survive.
“The doctor said it was a miracle they didn’t have severe life-threatening injuries,” said Crowder. “The two-year-old actually had tire marks on his back.”
Police said the car was not speeding and that solar glare likely played a role in the accident. The driver was cooperative and remained at the scene.
“I’m very proud of our kids and I’m even proud of the driver who was behind the wheel,” said Crowder. “She immediately ran to help, she just was blinded. I was proud of everyone the kids just ran and without even having to tell them what to do they just knew what to do.”
