Authorities: 82-year-old driver from Yarmouth hit four children on Florida beach

YARMOUTH, Mass. — An 82-year-old driver from Cape Cod is accused of hitting and injuring four children on a Florida beach, authorities said.

William Johnson of Yarmouth was behind the wheel when his SUV drove through a parking lot, went through a wooden barrier and dropped 20 feet onto the beach in Ormond-By-The-Sea, Florida Wednesday afternoon, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

Johnson was ticketed for careless driving and recommended for a driver's license re-examination.

Troopers said the SUV ran over one child and "bumped" three other children.

WFTV obtained video captured by a resident. The video shows the SUV accelerating across the A1A. Retired police officer Bill Norvell captured the video from a camera he installed across the street.

Troopers said the children involved were under the age of 11. Three of the children were taken to a hospital by ambulance, and the fourth, a 5-year-old, was airlifted to a hospital with serious injuries.

“One of my sisters and my brother got hit by a broken two-by-four, and the other one got ran over,” Wyatt Barber said.

Three children were released from the hospital. The 5-year-old is expected to recover but remains hospitalized.

Body camera footage released Thursday shows the moments after the crash.

"You're not going to die, baby. It's OK," the mother is heard telling one of the children in the footage.

The footage shows the children calmly follow instructions given to them by deputies.

Troopers said the driver of the SUV was also transported to an area hospital. They said the driver does not remember what happened.

“It was not a fun experience. I'm feeling fine. I'm just worried for my sisters and my brother,” Barber said.

Authorities said Johnson did not experience a medical issue. The driver was distraught about the crash and expressed concern for the children, officers said.

Cox Media Group