A 3-year-old boy is recovering in the hospital after being hit by a truck on Rt. 135 in Belgrade, Nov. 11.
The boy, his two older brothers, and their 13-year-old babysitter were walking on the side of Rt. 135 – the baby sitter was pushing the 3-year-old in a stroller – when a truck “swerved and somehow struck the kids,” said the children’s father, Doug Churchill, a former Jefferson resident.
The vehicle struck the babysitter and the 3-year-old; the other two were not hit.
The baby sitter has been released from hospital, Churchill said.
The 3-year-old was LifeFlighted to Maine Medical Center and was in critical condition for several days following the accident. It appeared he had suffered major head trauma, Churchill said. The boy is stable and recovering better than expected, but they are still waiting on results regarding a possible neck injury.
“He’s quite the little fighter,” Churchill said of his youngest son. The boy was born prematurely and “he defied the odds then, and he’s defying the odds again now.”
Police say Elton Bowler, 48, of Augusta, was driving the truck. Churchill believes the accident is still under investigation, but representatives from the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office did not return calls regarding the incident on Nov. 15.
“We’re hanging in there, all things considered,” Churchill said. “My little guy’s doing better.”
