Mother who watched 4-yr-old son mowed down by car in front of her fights traffic safety battle

Hunter Dew was run over and dragged a few feet by a vehicle on a busy road

UPDATED APR 16, 2023

GOOLWA, AUSTRALIA: A woman has decided to fight for stricter traffic laws after she witnessed her four-year-old son dying after being mowed down by a car on a busy road and dragged a few feet. Renee Cooper, 41, recalled how on Easter Sunday in 2012, Hunter Dew died after he ran into Port Elliot Road in South Australia.

The boy's family had just spent some quality time feeding ducks at Lakala Reserve and were heading home when the unthinkable happened. Little Dew was just a month away from turning five.

Florida tot, 3, dies after being run over by car when she walked onto busy highway as mom tended to SUV

'My clothes were completely drenched in his blood'

Recalling the incident, Cooper said, "It happened in a split second. I yelled telling him to stop but it happened so fast. I saw it all. He was hit and dragged up the road under the car because his hoodie got stuck on the front license plate," adding, "I remember running onto the road to him, just collapsed to the ground and sat beside him. My clothes were completely drenched in his blood," per the Daily Mail. She yelled at the driver to call an ambulance as soon as he got out of the car. Nearby paramedics came to the scene and tried to save Dew, but it was too late.

Cooper recalled she was in a state like a "zombie" after seeing her child die in front of her eyes. She said, "It's like living a nightmare but you feel as if you're gonna stop breathing because your heart might stop and give in to the pain. You can't compare losing a child to anything on Earth because it's that painful." The following week, Dew was laid to rest as hundreds came to pay their last respects."

Now, Cooper advocates for safety, stating that the road Dew died on should have a 24mph speed restriction. She said, "If you're tired, drinking, on drugs or not a vigilant driver, don't get in the car,"

Renee Cooper remembers that Easter Sunday

Cooper recalled that Easter Sunday like it was yesterday, how Dew burst into her room, eagerly awaiting chocolate, he said, "I love you mum," as he leaped on the bed. She reportedly said, "He was excited about Easter celebrations and everything involved ... flash forward to later on in the day when the kids and I decided to go to the park before it started raining."