Olivia McCarthy, pictured with her mum, Rene and brother, Sam were last week counting themselves lucky after the
By Tania Martin
AN OLINDA mother has warned others to lock their cars after her toddler miraculously escaped unscathed from a terrifying crash.
Rene McCarthy watched in horror as her two-year-old was caught in the family car as it careered down their driveway, across a busy road and down an embankment.
She had just returned home from the supermarket on 12 January shortly after 4.30pm when the accident happened.
“I was standing in the kitchen unpacking the groceries and something made me look up,” Mrs McCarthy said.
“I saw the car rolling down the driveway and ran after it.”
The car, a restored 1957 Chevrolet had been reversed up the driveway on Mrs McCarthy’s return from the shops.
Little Olivia had climbed into the open car and knocked the gear-stick into drive.
Police believe the weight of the three-tonne car had caused the handbrake to fail.
The car rolled down the driveway across a busy Olinda-Monbulk road and over an embankment before coming to rest on a tree stump.
Mrs McCarthy said she didn’t even realise Olivia was in the car.
“I just saw the car rolling and ran after it,” she said.
“Then I saw Olivia pop her head up.”
The whole family chased after the runaway car.
“There was me, my husband Michael and our son Sam all chasing after the car screaming hysterically,” Mrs McCarthy said.
She said it was a miracle Olivia escaped the incident unharmed.
“As the car hit the tree stump she was thrown into the dashboard but wasn’t hurt,” Mrs McCarthy said.
The McCarthys are still amazed Olivia was not seriously injured.
“It’s such a busy road and it’s just lucky there were no cars around,” Mrs McCarthy said.
Yarra Ranges Traffic Management Unit officer Leading Senior Constable Steve Mcllroy said although this type of incident was rare it was important to highlight the need to lock cars at all times around young children.
“Leaving the car door open or unlocked while carrying in the shopping is something we all do,” he said.
“But while the McCarthys’ experience may be freakish, it should come as a warning to other adults in the Dandenongs,” he said.
The McCarthys had to call in some heavy haulage equipment to pull the car up from the embankment.
It cost more than $10,000 to repair but they say their daughter’s life was worth a lot more.
“We are just glad she wasn’t hurt,” Mrs McCarthy said.
Olivia is now weary around running cars.
“She is okay if she gets in the car before you start it,” Mrs McCarthy said.
“But the sound of a running car really terrifies her.”
The McCarthys are now urging all hills parents to make sure they lock their cars around young children.
