A mother pushing her child in a stroller were reportedly backed into by a driver near the corner of Washington Avenue and Middle Street during a block party Saturday afternoon in Cape Girardeau, according to witnesses and local law enforcement.

�From what I understand, right now, a car was backing up down the street and backed into a mom pushing a stroller,� Cape Girardeau Fire Department battalion chief Brad Dillow said at the scene. �I know there�s damage to the stroller, there are some reports that the stroller was underneath the car, I don�t know about that. Still trying to figure it all out.�

Dillow said the mother and 1-year-old child had some minor bumps and scrapes. Right now, it �looks like its all-non-life threatening,� he said.

�Everything�s good,� he said. �Probably gonna go get checked out just to be on the safe side.�

Ron Williams witnessed the event and said the woman who backed into the stroller was in front of him, and �then I seen her put a box in the car.�

�She went to back up, and I don�t know why just didn�t go forward,� he said. �She just kept going backwards. Then I seen her run into that car, then I seen them jerk the baby out.�

�There were a couple guys banging on her window trying to get her to stop, but she just kept going,� he said. �The stroller looked like it was bent in the half and the front wheel was broken off of it.�

According to Williams, the impact �actually knocked [the baby] out of the seat.�

Shortly after the incident, the mother and child were taken from the scene in an ambulance.

jhartwig@semissourian.com

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