Normal 0 A mother has died after being dragged about 60 feet down a driveway by her SUV while her three small children were in the backseat, according to firefighters. The family was heading to the park when the tragic accident happened.
Heartland Fire and Rescue Department was called to a report that a vehicle had rolled over a person in the 8700 block of Glenira Ave. in La Mesa at 9.20 a.m. Thursday.
“The SUV apparently rolled backward down a steep driveway about 60 feet,” said Sonny Saghera, a spokesperson for Heartland Fire and Rescue Department. “The lady was not inside the car at the time but she got trapped.”
Firefighters say the vehicle dragged the 24-year-old down the driveway and she ended up in the middle of the street, stuck underneath the SUV.
“She was trapped kind of close to the front, left tire with her chest and head underneath the car and her legs sticking out,” said Saghera.
Her three young children were in the backseat of the SUV. A 4-year-old unbuckled and ran for help, according to police.
“She said, ‘we found mommy,’ and so I thought she'd come from somewhere else," said neighbor Lou Pohlenz.
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He assumed the woman was in the house and ran to her aid but couldn’t find her.
"When I ran back down the driveway and turned to run in front of the vehicle, I saw a leg sticking out from the knee down and that's all I could see,” said neighbor Lou Pohlenz.
Neighbors called 911.
“Thankfully a neighbor showed up with a floor jack and was able to put it under the car and lift the car up pretty quickly and we were able to get her out that way,” said Saghera.
The woman suffered head, chest, and abdomen injuries. She was transported by ambulance to Sharp Memorial Hospital in serious condition and later died.
A 2-year-old and 5-month-old were also in the SUV. The children were not injured.
La Mesa Police Department is investigating the cause of the accident.
The victim's husband is in the U.S. Navy.
