The unnamed boy, five, was injured in an incident involving a parking meter in Bunbury, near Perth in Australia, and rushed to a local hospital via air ambulance
A five-year-old boy is fighting for his life in hospital following a horror accident involving a parking meter.
Paramedics rushed to the scene of an accident on Arthur Street in Bunbury, a town to the south of Perth, Western Australia, at around 10.30am on Wednesday. Three crews arriving in the area found a meter had fallen on the youngster outside Bunbury Museum, who was rushed to the nearby Bunbury hospital by air ambulance.
He was designated “priority one” by the ambulance service, meaning his condition was considered potentially life threatening, and he remains in critical condition at hospital. Investigators have since been deployed to the scene as the Bunbury community reels from the incident.
A spokesperson for WorkSafe WA, the body responsible for public safety in Western Australia, said representatives have confirmed the boy was hit by a disused meter in a courtyard at the Bunbury Museum. The museum confirmed in a post on Facebook following the incident that it had closed its doors.
The post read: “We would like to advise our community that the Bunbury Museum and Heritage Centre and Bunbury Visitor Centre are closed today and tomorrow. We apologise for any inconvenience and thank our community for their patience and understanding during this period.”
Representatives for the City of Bunbury followed with their own post outlining the closure, adding their thoughts were with the child and family “involved in the tragic incident this week”. They said: “Our thoughts continue to be with the child and family involved in the tragic incident this week. We ask for everyone to take care and look out for each other.
“Out of respect for the child and family, we will not be making any further comment or providing any further details at this time.” Expanding on the statement, City of Bunbury chief executive Alan Ferris told Australian national broadcaster ABC officials were “deeply saddened” by the news, and thanked emergency services who responded to the accident.
He added that museum staff and community members provided assistance at the time. Mr Ferris said: “We are deeply saddened to learn about an incident involving a young child at Bunbury Museum and Heritage Centre yesterday. We thank police and paramedics who not only helped the child, but museum staff and community members who witnessed the incident and provided immediate assistance.
“Our thoughts are with the child, their family, and all involved and everyone impacted.”
