A Northland toddler was last night critically ill in Auckland's Starship Hospital after being run over on a neighbour's driveway.
The accident happened at about 12.15pm yesterday in Ormonde Place, a cul-de-sac in Kaikohe.
The one-year-old boy was airlifted in a critical condition to Whangarei Hospital by the Northland Electricity Rescue Helicopter,
arriving at 1.45pm.
After being stabilised in Whangarei, the toddler was transferred to Auckland's Starship Hospital, again by helicopter, at 4pm yesterday.
St John Northland operations manager Tony Devanney said the boy had sustained "very serious" head injuries, as well as chest and abdominal injuries.
Senior Constable Warren Bunn, of the police Serious Crash Unit, said the accident involved a four-wheel-drive vehicle on a neighbouring driveway.
The driver was not a member of the toddler's family.
The Serious Crash Unit was helping Kaikohe police with their inquiries, he said.
The Kaikohe Fire Brigade was initially called out to Ormonde Place, then diverted to Lindvart Park to secure the helicopter landing pad.
Late yesterday, Sergeant Mike Plant from Kaikohe, said no one had been charged and that investigations were continuing.
Yesterday's accident was the third involving a toddler in the mid-North town in just over a year.
Two Kaikohe toddlers died after being run over on driveways in the space of three weeks late last year, on October 12 and November 2.
In both tragedies, the car was being reversed by a family member.
The accidents happened on the families' own driveways, and the victims were 18-month-old boys.
