Ex-Wallaby runs over son in driveway

Ex-Wallaby Brendan Cannon and his son Samuel. Photos / Getty Images, Supplied

Former Wallabies hooker Brendan Cannon's 15-month-old son is in a critical condition on life support after being run over in the driveway of their Brisbane home.

Cannon accidentally reversed his 4WD over Samuel, fracturing both his legs, it was reported.

The Sunday Mail said Samuel had two fractured femurs, a broken pelvis and internal injuries.

Samuel had been playing with his mother, Fiona, in the back garden when he suddenly ran over to the car after seeing his siblings Joseph, 5, and Phoebe, 3, getting into the 4WD.

A Queensland ambulance spokeswoman would not release the names of those connected with the incident but confirmed that a toddler had been accidentally run over by a car in the driveway of a home in Sherwood, in Brisbane's southwest, just before 1pm on Saturday (New Zealand time).

The toddler was taken to Brisbane's Royal Children's Hospital in a critical condition with multiple injuries, she said.

The accident is reminiscent of one involving another former Wallaby hooker and Fox Sports commentator, Phil Kearns, who unintentionally ran over his daughter in the driveway of his Sydney home in 2005.

His daughter, Andie, suffered internal injuries but has made a full recovery.

"It's one of those worst-case scenarios," Cannon said.

"We've got a very narrow driveway and you need to be focusing on clearing the gate.

"So I was reversing out concentrating on the right side of the gate to get out and I've accidentally run over the little guy."

Cannon added: "He has a fracture in the left and right femur. There's internal swelling and laceration of his liver.

"It's a critical situation at this moment in time. He is on life support in a way to protect him from any further trauma.

"That way they can manage him out of the management support structure he is under. The prognosis they have told us at this point of time is that it is critical - they've done a comprehensive CT scan of [his] upper chest and upper body [and it's] all fine. There's abdomen swelling and internal bleeding."

Kearns said yesterday he would try to make contact with Cannon to offer his support.

"Myself and my family offer our love and support to Brendan and his family, and I know what he's going through," Kearns said. "I'm sure if they stay strong everything will be fine."

Cannon himself was involved in a near-fatal car accident when he was 20, after his car was forced into the path of a truck in 1993.

He retired from rugby in 2007 after seriously injuring his neck in a collapsed scrum.

Cannon played 42 tests for Australia and 106 Super rugby games for Queensland, New South Wales and the Western Force.

He works for property funds management and development group Charter Hall.

- AAP