Father runs over toddler in Liberty Lake

A Liberty Lake toddler sustained serious head injuries after her father accidentally ran over her with his truck Friday. The toddler is expected to survive, said Det. David Thornburg, Spokane County sheriff’s spokesman. Authorities say the parents were leaving their home on the 2400 block of Chase Lane when the incident occurred about 3:42 p.m. The father was in the Dodge Ram pickup getting ready to move the truck from the side of the garage and the mother, who had had to run inside for something, set the toddler down next to it, Thornburg said. The father thought the toddler was still with the mother when he began to back up and ran over the 18-month-old girl. The parents left for the hospital and flagged down an ambulance at Mission Avenue and Molter Road so paramedics could take over. Neither alcohol nor drugs appear to be factors, Thornburg said, and the father gave a voluntary blood sample. The sheriff’s office is investigating.