Courier driver still working after toddler hit

The 17-month-old girl was rushed to Starship Hospital. File photo / NZ Herald

A toddler run over by a courier van in the driveway of her Flaxmere home has improved slightly but is "not out of the woods yet''.

Georgia Heremia, 17 months, was in a stable condition at Starship Children's Hospital and would undergo a second operation on her liver today, Grandmother Rosie Gillies said yesterday.

Family members said Georgia was hit after she wandered in front of the van while Ms Gillies, who was minding her, turned to put a courier package in the car port.

The toddler suffered internal bleeding and a crushed liver as a result of the accident, though police are yet to determine exactly how she was hit.

Hastings Sergeant Clint Adamson said a statement had been taken from the courier driver on Tuesday evening and Ms Gillies yesterday.

The van had also been seized and photographed.

The driver, from Napier, had continued making deliveries after the incident, unaware of the critical injuries Georgia had suffered.

"When it happened he picked her up and obviously she was upset, but he had no idea of the extent of her injuries,'' Mr Adamson said.

"He had left even before the family realised there was something wrong.''

The driver was only notified of Georgia's condition when Mr Adamson called him later in the day.

It was not yet known if the driver would face charges, he said.

"At this stage we have got to wait for everything to come together, I'm not going to rush into a decision.''

Dean Bracewell, managing director of Freightways, which owns Post Haste Couriers, said the driver was still at work.

"Naturally he's very upset. We gave him the option of putting on a relief driver, but he chose to continue working with a support person.''

The company had also offered him counselling.

Freightways had been in touch with Georgia's mother and father yesterday to offer their best wishes personally.

"Obviously as a company, this affects us all,'' he said.