LEWISTON — A 2-year-old boy was seriously injured Monday when he was struck by a car driven by his father in the parking lot of their apartment complex in Lewiston.
The incident occurred around 11:40 a.m. when the boy became caught beneath the car as his father, 24-year-old Ron Holmes, backed it up at Hillview Apartments on Rideout Avenue. Holmes was initially unaware that he had struck his son until someone cried out, Lewiston police Lt. Michael McGonagle said.
The boy, Lucas Holmes, was first taken by ambulance to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, then flown by a medical helicopter to Maine Medical Center in Portland. McGonagle said the boy had injuries to his head and torso that he characterized as life-threatening, but Lucas was listed in fair condition at the hospital Monday night.
“It looks like he was caught beneath the tire and that the tire was pushing him, but that’s unknown,” McGonagle said. “The accident is under investigation still.”
The boy’s father, whose driver’s license is suspended for motor vehicle infractions, was backing up the car at the time of the accident from a parking space in the lot to move it closer to the door. He was trying to make it easier for him and his girlfriend to load the car and put Lucas and their infant child inside, McGonagle said.
After the accident, police allowed Holmes to first go to CMMC in Lewiston with his son, and then brought him to the police station for testing, which is standard procedure in crashes with serious injury. Holmes took a breath test, which showed no presence of alcohol in his system, and submitted to a blood test. McGonagle said police do not believe alcohol or drugs were factors in the incident.
“He’s cooperating with the investigation,” McGonagle said. “He does have a suspended license, but at this point he has not been charged. The investigation is still ongoing, and charges may be coming.”
Around 3:30 p.m., Holmes returned briefly to his apartment before getting in a car driven by a friend to go visit his son at the hospital in Portland.
Holmes said his girlfriend was in the hospital room with Lucas, but he had been unable to reach her by phone. He spoke only briefly before being driven away.
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