Park ranger: 'I've run over 2 people'

13-year-old girls recovering after being hit on beach Saturday morning

ATLANTIC BEACH, Fla. – Two teenage girls run over by an Atlantic Beach city vehicle on the beach Saturday morning are recovering, although one had burns so severe she was transferred to the burn unit of UF Health Shands, in Gainesville.

According to the police report, Isabella Rodriguez and Jade Shaw were both hit by a pickup truck about 9:50 a.m. at the Oceanwalk entrance to the beach off Seminole Road.

Timothy Thompson, a park ranger for Atlantic Beach, said he got in his pickup truck and made a U-turn on Seminole Road, then he heard screaming. Residents ran over and pulled the two girls out from under his pickup. 

Thompson said the terrain on the beachfront prevented him from seeing the girls. A witness told police the same thing -- that the driver couldn't have seen the girls.

Witnesses and the driver himself called 911.

"I've run over two people out here," Thompson told the operator. "Yes, they are injured."

When told rescue was on the way, Thompson added, "Please, they are in pain."

LISTEN: Park ranger's 911 call

News4Jax spoke with Rodriguez's mother, who said she did not want to comment but is being represented by attorney John Phillips. 

Phillips, who has represented two women in similar situations, said these types of accidents are actually pretty common, and at least a dozen times a woman has been run over on the beach in Florida.

“The injuries are usually severe. You’ve got a several-thousand-pound vehicle equipped with extra equipment that (is) rolling on top of people in sand. Fortunately they sink in the sand and there has only been one fatality out of the 15 incidents where this has happened in Florida," Phillips said.

For years, he has been working to get laws changed so this doesn’t happen again. Phillips said he’s been fighting for more rules and regulations when it comes to cars on the beach.

He said many times these incidents involve lifeguards, beach patrol and other government safety vehicles. He said they should only be allowed on the beach for emergencies.

“When the first one happened, we asked for every single county and municipality’s policies and procedures to try to enforce everybody to get on the same page, and two years later, these things are still happening," Phillips said.

For beachgoers taking in the ocean breeze, it’s a wake-up call to be more alert.

“I think people should be aware, but that’s a little bit difficult, because the reason people come to the beach is (to) relax and enjoy, and they don’t anticipate those kind of emergencies," Julie Lavin said. 

Noelle McDermott said as the beach traffic picks up for the summer, it’s going to be more difficult for drivers to get around the crowds.

“The kids playing on the beach, they are away from their parents a lot and they are not really paying attention," McDermott said.

News4Jax stopped by Thompson's house Monday night, but he was unavailable.