‘Terrified’ mother, 23, pulls her baby boy’s pram to safety just a split second before loose trailer ploughs into them
- Eleanor O’Callaghan, 23, was taking her baby for a stroll near Braintree, Essex
- Faced with a one-tonne trailer hurtling towards her after coming loose from van
- She yanked her son’s pram out the way moments before it ploughed into them
A ‘terrified’ mother and her three-month-old son narrowly avoided being crushed by a one-tonne trailer as it ploughed towards them after coming loose.
Eleanor O’Callaghan, 23, said she had just a ‘split second’ to save her baby boy’s life by yanking his pram out the way of the oncoming trailer, after hearing a loud ‘bang’ as it hurtled towards them.
But the trailer, which came free as its van was turning at a junction, still caught against the pram – sending Eleanor ‘flying’ as she fought to keep hold of the buggy.
Dramatic CCTV footage filmed from a house on the opposite corner of the junction shows a cloud of dust as the trailer hit the pavement, and Eleanor losing her footing as she staggered out of the way.
Eleanor O’Callaghan, 23, said she had just a ‘split second’ to save her baby boy’s life by yanking his pram out the way of the oncoming trailer, after hearing a loud ‘bang’ as it hurtled towards them walking down a path near Braintree, Essex
The single mum, from Silver End near Braintree, Essex, thankfully escaped with only minor injuries, including a stiff neck, shoulders, and arms – and baby River was luckily unharmed.
But Eleanor described the ordeal, which happened on Tuesday, as ‘absolutely terrifying’, and said: ‘It was a mum’s worst nightmare.
‘If I hadn’t pulled the buggy back out of the way in that split second, my boy would have had no chance.
‘The worst part was that as it came towards us, I wasn’t sure if it was going to bounce up off the curb and come crashing down on top of us.
‘All I could think about was keeping hold of the buggy because I didn’t want my baby to fall out.
Terrifying footage shows the trailer slamming into a tree, as Eleanor pulls her baby’s pram out of the way moments before it is crushed
The single mum, from Silver End near Braintree, Essex, thankfully escaped with only minor injuries, including a stiff neck, shoulders, and arms – and baby River was luckily unharmed
‘The trailer caught the buggy and yanked it away from me, so I was sent flying.
‘Luckily, River wasn’t hurt – I don’t think he even had any idea what had happened, he was just in his pram smiling up at me.’
The CCTV footage shows the van come to a halt in the road seconds after the incident, and the driver coming running to check Eleanor was alright.
She said: ‘He seemed almost as shocked as I was, and was really apologetic.
‘He actually had two trailers on the back of his van, and the other one was carrying a car on top of it – so I’m really lucky it wasn’t that one that came towards me.’
A man is seen racing to help the mother seconds after the incident
‘Luckily, River wasn’t hurt – I don’t think he even had any idea what had happened, he was just in his pram smiling up at me,’ added Eleanor
Eleanor said she didn’t require any medical care, and walked the few paces back to her home shaken and crying.
But she said: ‘I woke up the next day and it hit me like a ton of bricks.
‘I’ve been left with really sore and stiff shoulders, neck, and arms – which has been hard as I’m a single mother so I’m on my own looking after my little one.’
Eleanor says she has reported the incident to Essex Police.
Essex Police were contacted for comment, but said on Friday that they were still waiting to receive details of the incident through their online log.