Injured girl's family: 'It can happen to anyone'
MARYSVILLE, Wash. - A 10-year-old Marysville girl hit by a car this week is improving, and now the girl's family wants everyone to that what happened to her can happen to any kid.
Emily Norman was riding a bike when a family friend accidentally struck the little girl with her car. Ever since, it's been an emotionally draining week for all involved.
Emily is still in intensive care at Harborview Medical Center with a serious head injury, but her father, Rob Norman, says she is now recovering quickly, with no broken bones.
Rob took KOMO News to the accident scene and explained how the thing that every parent fears actually happened.
"She went off the curb ... and was hit approximately here," he says, explaining the sequence of events.
His daughter Emily had grabbed her brother's bike on Wednesday for a quick spin.
But right in front of her house, she rode out between two parked cars and was hit by a Suburban, landing on her head.
She wasn't wearing a helmet, her father admits.
"It was her brother's bike. Emily doesn't have a bike, so therefore she doesn't have a helmet," he says.
The driver who accidentally hit her was Chris McCormick, a close family friend and neighbor who was just driving by.
"I didn't actually see her until she hit my car," she says.
It was a heart-wrenching experience for Chris.
"When she hit the car, it's like, 'What just happened?' It didn't really register. Then, when I went over to her, I just started praying and asking God to just be with her right there," Chris says, adding, "I'm going to get choked up."
Chris says she was going about 20 mph - but Emily popped out between the two parked cars so fast, Chris couldn't hit the brakes fast enough.
Emily was airlifted to Harborview with a serious head injury, but doctors say she is recovering quickly - a blessing for everyone involved.
"I wasn't distracted, and it happened - so it can happen to anyone," says Chris.
This was an accident - pure and simple - but it has all the elements that make up all-too-familiar warnings - be careful when riding between parked cars, see and be seen, and wear a helment.
"She could have been wearing a helmet - that's the truth," says Emily's dad.
There's no blame in this story - just valuable lessons.
Emily Norman was riding a bike when a family friend accidentally struck the little girl with her car. Ever since, it's been an emotionally draining week for all involved.
Emily is still in intensive care at Harborview Medical Center with a serious head injury, but her father, Rob Norman, says she is now recovering quickly, with no broken bones.
Rob took KOMO News to the accident scene and explained how the thing that every parent fears actually happened.
"She went off the curb ... and was hit approximately here," he says, explaining the sequence of events.
His daughter Emily had grabbed her brother's bike on Wednesday for a quick spin.
But right in front of her house, she rode out between two parked cars and was hit by a Suburban, landing on her head.
She wasn't wearing a helmet, her father admits.
"It was her brother's bike. Emily doesn't have a bike, so therefore she doesn't have a helmet," he says.
The driver who accidentally hit her was Chris McCormick, a close family friend and neighbor who was just driving by.
"I didn't actually see her until she hit my car," she says.
It was a heart-wrenching experience for Chris.
"When she hit the car, it's like, 'What just happened?' It didn't really register. Then, when I went over to her, I just started praying and asking God to just be with her right there," Chris says, adding, "I'm going to get choked up."
Chris says she was going about 20 mph - but Emily popped out between the two parked cars so fast, Chris couldn't hit the brakes fast enough.
Emily was airlifted to Harborview with a serious head injury, but doctors say she is recovering quickly - a blessing for everyone involved.
"I wasn't distracted, and it happened - so it can happen to anyone," says Chris.
This was an accident - pure and simple - but it has all the elements that make up all-too-familiar warnings - be careful when riding between parked cars, see and be seen, and wear a helment.
"She could have been wearing a helmet - that's the truth," says Emily's dad.
There's no blame in this story - just valuable lessons.