A 4-year-old Baxter boy was transported to the hospital with minor injuries after being run over on his bicycle by a mail delivery vehicle Saturday afternoon.

According to the Baxter Police Department, the boy was riding his bike in Baxter when he crashed with a small neighborhood mail delivery vehicle. The front tire of the delivery vehicle ran over the boy’s head and the helmet he was wearing shattered into several pieces. The boy was transported to Essentia-St. Joseph’s Medical Center but was released to family members a short time later with minor injuries.

“The mail delivery truck pulled up to the end of the driveway on a cul-de-sac. I believe the father walked up to the truck or grabbed his mail, turned, the truck started to go and somehow the little guy got in front of the truck there,” said Baxter Police Chief Jim Exsted. “Somehow the vehicle went over the child. The child was wearing a helmet and the helmet shattered. It was just kind of a freak crash.”

As we enter into the summer months, the Baxter Police Department would like to remind the public the importance of wearing helmets when riding a bicycle.

By — Rachel Johnson

Lakeland News Lead Reporter