A 12-year-old boy miraculously escaped serious injury after being dragged under a lorry in Brazil, suffering only a fractured wrist and grazed elbow.
Incident captured on CCTV
The extraordinary incident occurred on August 5 on Avenida Joaquim David in the city of Firminopolis, in the Brazilian state of Goias. CCTV footage shows the boy pushing his bicycle and stopping to wait as the lorry turned a corner. At the last second, he was caught up in the vehicle's manoeuvre and shoved onto the road.
The footage shows the boy being hit by the lorry's wheels, which luckily only appeared to push him along the tarmac before he could roll free. He then rose to his feet without struggle and walked back to collect his bike, moments after the rear of the truck cleared him.
Aftermath and medical treatment
The lorry, a Volvo FH 540, was turning onto the GO-060 highway at the time, and the boy had been making his way home from school. Staff from a nearby chemist witnessed the collision, gave first aid at the roadside, and drove him to Hospital Santa Gemma.
Medics there found he had fractured his left wrist and grazed his elbow. He was subsequently transferred to the Goiás State Emergency Hospital, Dr Valdemiro Cruz (Hugol) in Goiânia, where he is expected to undergo an operation.
Driver unaware of incident
The lorry driver had been travelling to a rural property to load up the vehicle and contacted the Military Police several hours after the accident. He explained to officers that he had carried on driving because the child had been in a blind spot behind his mirrors, and he had no idea he had struck anyone.
The man said he only became aware that something had happened when a friend sent him the shocking video. He then asked for the contact details of the boy's parents, adding that he intends to support the family and offering to meet the costs of his medical treatment. The police are investigating the incident.
