Family asks for prayers for boy hit by SUV days before his 6th birthday
SPARTANBURG, S.C. (WHNS/Gray News) - A South Carolina boy remains hospitalized after his family says he was hit by an SUV outside his grandparents’ house just days before his 6th birthday.
Troopers say the incident happened around 3:20 p.m. Friday in a Spartanburg neighborhood. They say the driver of a 2011 Chevrolet SUV was headed down Palomino Drive when Landon Dyson, who was 5 at the time, stepped into the roadway and was hit. The boy was reportedly behind a vehicle legally parked along the side of the road before he stepped out in front of the SUV.
Landon’s family says the boy was standing at the end of his grandparents’ driveway when the incident happened and was dragged several feet, WHNS reports.
“I was cleaning the siding, and all of a sudden, I heard screaming and hollering. I looked around, and his mother and his grandmother was hollering and screaming that this lady had run over him,” said David Lee, the boy’s grandfather.
Landon was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. He suffered several broken bones, including both legs, his right arm, three ribs and a fractured skull.
“They had a big team here waiting on him when he got here and made it into surgery,” Lee said.
Landon’s family was planning on having his birthday party Saturday, the day after he was struck, but instead, he was in the hospital fighting for his life. He turned 6 on Tuesday.
Lee says his grandson was taken out of a medically induced coma Monday. He is on a lot of pain medication and will require more surgeries. He will also need skin grafts for injuries to his arm and head.
Landon has a long road to recovery, but his family said they are hopeful. They are asking everyone to keep him in their prayers. Lee commended the team at Greenville Memorial Children’s Hospital for their care.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help the family with medical expenses.
The SUV driver who allegedly hit the boy was arrested and charged with driving without a license.
Officials say speeding was not a factor in the incident. However, prior to the incident, the family says they had been trying to get signs in the area telling drivers to drive carefully and slow down.
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