Parenting influencer Kelly Hopton-Jones has revealed that she accidentally ran over her 23-month-old son, Henry, with her car, describing the incident as a “true nightmare” for a parent. The mother of two, who shares her children with husband Brian Hopton-Jones, posted an emotional statement on Instagram on Wednesday, including photos of herself holding her son’s hand in hospital.
Hopton-Jones recounted the moments before the accident, explaining that she was taking her daughter Lily to get donuts before a dance performance. Her husband helped Lily into the car and was waving goodbye between the car and Henry, who was in the garage. “In a matter of seconds, our son was run over by our car. I was driving,” she wrote. Neighbours immediately stepped in to take care of Lily while she and her husband rushed Henry to the emergency room.
Henry underwent X-rays of his legs, chest, and neck, which all came back normal. A CT scan showed no injuries to organs or spinal cord, and a neurological exam found “no signs of head injury or impairment.” However, he sustained “fractures to his pelvis that will take time to heal, as well as a few abrasions.” Hopton-Jones noted that the doctor told her, “He is hurt, but this is something he can recover from,” calling it a true miracle.
The influencer said the accident has changed her family, making it a “non-negotiable” to hold her children’s hands around vehicles. She urged other parents not to assume children will stay where they last saw them, adding, “Even when you are not distracted. Even when you are not rushing. It can still happen in the blink of an eye.” She confessed to questioning everything, including why she did not double-check before pulling out, but concluded that “accidents happen, and the only mistakes are the ones we don’t learn from.”
Hopton-Jones received an outpouring of support from friends and followers, who praised her vulnerability. Influencer Emilie Kiser, whose three-year-old son died in May after drowning in their family pool, commented, “I’m so incredibly sorry.”
