(WXYZ) — A mother has a powerful message to parents and kids out riding bikes: “Always wear protective equipment.“ She says if her son wasn’t wearing a helmet when he got hit by a truck, he wouldn’t be here today.
Arin Young says it was a horrific scene. Her son was hit by a truck while doing jumps on a street that’s usually quiet. Arin says her son was wearing a helmet and it probably saved his life.
“I would not have my son today if he didn’t have his helmet on,” Arin said.
It’s a mother’s worst nightmare.
“The absolute worst," she said. "That was the scariest day of my entire life."
Her 9-year-old son Parker was jumping his bike Monday along Cecelia Ann Avenue in Clarkston, in an area he felt safe. But that quickly changed after Parker jumped his bike into a moving truck.
“His forehead was sticking out, it had to of been two inches sticking out," Arin said. "I’ve never seen anything like that in my entire life."
She says if Parker wasn’t wearing a helmet, he might not be here today.
“I keep trying not to think about the what if and what could have been, but every time I look at that helmet and the way his bike looks, especially when I look at the helmet – that could have been my child’s head,” Arin said.
Phil and Charrie Moody accidentally hit the boy while driving. Parker’s bike was mangled. The Moody’s later went to check up on the boy to make sure he was OK. They also brought some gifts.
“They just randomly showed up at our house and asked us to come outside and they had brand new bikes and helmets for both boys,” Arin said.
Accidents in some parts of metro Detroit are actually up.
Beaumont hospital in Dearborn says they’ve seen an increase in bicycle accidents, especially in the last week. With more kids and adults out on bikes, Arin says we all need to be more alert.
“The kids need to take a lesson from this to wear their helmets," she said. "The parents need to take a lesson to make their kids wear their helmets and they need to drive slower."
Parker suffered a concussion and a lot of bumps and bruises but is expected to be OK.
