Man, granddaughter injured when SUV rolls down driveway

ASHBURNHAM, Mass (WHDH) -- Two people were hurt Monday morning when an SUV rolled down a driveway.

A 53-year-old man and his 5-year-old granddaughter were both hurt when their SUV rolled into them. The girl’s 9-year-old brother was able to stop the SUV before it caused further damage.

The grandfather was behind the wheel of a Ford Explorer and put the car in reverse but the car wouldn’t move. The man then got out of the car and pulled and released the emergency break with his hands which caused the SUV to start rolling, dragging the man down the driveway.

The man’s 5-year-old granddaughter was clipped by the front door of the SUV. She was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

The 9-year-old grandson -- who was in the passenger seat of the SUV -- was somehow able to get his foot on the brake pedal and stop the vehicle from rolling.

“That’s when the boy stopped the car from rolling into the lake or into the house,” said Linda Bergeron, a neighbor.

State Police Accident Reconstruction Team was on scene as police investigated the cause of the accident.

“It’s just very unusual. So, no we don’t respond to too many scenes like this,” said Sgt. Chris Conrad, Ashburnham Police Department.

Police said they do not expect to charge anyone in the accident.

The grandfather remained in the hospital Monday night but is expected to make a full recovery.