NSBNews.net photos by Henry Frederick / Lisa Coghill of Lake Mary keeps her 18-month-old grandson, Jahki Hayden, in front of hold and by the arm as they reach the surf as vehicles begin leaving the beach late on this sunny Saturday afternoon with high tide creeping in. A 4-year-old girl ran into the patch of a pick-up truck earlier in the day, which came to a complete stop, though her momentum had her hit the front of the vehicle for which she suffered a couple of bruises.NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- A 4-year-old Canadian girl was transported to Bert Fish Medical Center for treatment of bruises an hour ago after she darted in front of a small pick-up truck on the beach that had already come to a complete stop, a spokesman with the Volusia County Beach Patrol said. "The child darted from the east side into the path of the vehicle," Beach Patrol spokesman Tammy Marris said of the 1:26 p.m. accident, explaining the girl was running from the water's edge. "The driver slammed on his brakes and the child ran into the stopped vehicle."
The little girl's momentum had her run into the front grill area of the black Tacoma pick-up truck, bounce off of it and then after getting back up, running to her family members.
The vehicle was driven by an 18-year-old from Winter Park, whose name wasn't immediately available. Neither was the identify of the child visiting from Montreal with her family.
"The driver was not at fault," Marris said, but as to who was responsible for watching the little girl, she did not have information readily available as an investigation continues.
The accident occurred in the 1500 block of North Atlantic, about a mile north of the Flagler Avenue Approach. The Beach Patrol transported the child to Bert Fish for treatment of bruises, the spokeswoman said, adding she was crying, but showed no signs of broken bones.
"She was alert and conscious with a minor contusion on her head and hip," Marris said.
The accident caught the eye of 50-year-old Roy Stone of Oak Hill, who said the little girl "ran in front of the truck, but he didn't roll over her. He was way below the speed limit and he stopped."
The speed limit on the beach is 10 mph and signs along the way caution motorists to be especially watchful for children.
Stone said if anyone is to be blamed for this accident it's the adults with the injured pre-schooler.
"This little kid ran back and forth three times in traffic before she got hit," the Oak Hill man said. "I heard a scream from one of the parents or whoever they were, but it was too late. I put the emphasis for accidents like this on the parents. Don't let yourt kidfs run around like this without watching them."
A 2-year-old boy suffered minor injuries in June when he broke free from a parent and ran into the path of a vehicle.