Dentist leaps fence to help children after car crashes into nursery playground in Ellesmere Port
Three children were injured, a two-year-old boy seriously, when a car drove through a fence into a nursery playground on Monday morning. A dentist from a nearby clinic heard screaming and climbed the fence to help.
The crash
At around 9:54 BST on 15 June, a car crashed through the fence of Partou Sunny Days Nursery and Pre-school on Vale Road in Whitby, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire. A two-year-old boy sustained injuries initially thought serious but later described as not as serious as first thought and remains in hospital under supervision. Two other children received minor injuries. A 63-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
Dentist's intervention
Dr Dario Sales, a 38-year-old dentist at Whitby Dental & Implant Clinic next door, was with a patient when he heard screaming, a lot of noise that didn't sound like the usual kids playing outside. He and two dental nurses rushed out through an emergency exit. Seeing the car inside the playground and chaos, Sales jumped the fence.
Everyone was running so I jumped the fence and there was a neighbour trying to see if there was a kid underneath the car so I helped him to move part of the fence's wood and we made sure that there was no kid there.
The dental nurses brought medical equipment from the practice. Sales saw one child with bruises and a possible fracture. We just made sure that the kid was fine but we didn't do much, he said. Police and ambulance arrived quickly.
Community reaction
Neighbour Sylvia Dominguez said she saw a car inside the playground. I normally see kids playing there every day, she added. Steve, owner of Steve the Barber, praised the outstanding community spirit. A Partou spokesperson described the incident as extremely distressing and said the nursery's focus was on supporting the children, families, and staff.
