Woman, grandson injured after being struck in Ames

A grandmother and her 2-year-old grandson were seriously injured Monday evening, Sept. 28, after they were struck by a tractor-trailer on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Ames.

The accident occurred around 6:03 p.m. near the intersection of County Road 158, according to Sgt. Rob Willoughby, supervisor for the Liberty County office of the Texas Department of Public Safety.

According to Willoughby, the child ran down the driveway of his family’s home and darted into the roadway as a 2025 Kenworth tractor-trailer pulling a 2020 tanker was traveling northeast on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. The boy’s grandmother ran after him in an attempt to catch him as the truck was passing.

Willoughby said the truck driver saw what was happening and reacted quickly in an effort to avoid the pair.

“He took evasive action and tried to avoid hitting them,” Willoughby said.

The driver was able to avoid a direct impact, but the grandmother and child were struck in a glancing blow and seriously injured.

The 2-year-old was transported to a Houston pediatric hospital, where he remained in the intensive care unit Tuesday, according to Willoughby. He did not have additional information about the child’s condition.

Willoughby also could not provide details Tuesday about the extent of the grandmother’s injuries.

The accident remains under investigation by the Texas Department of Public Safety.