Pictured: ‘Blind-sided’ mother of boy, four, filmed riding on the roof of her car as she drove down the street
- A mother has defended herself after footage emerged of son on roof of her car
- The child is believed to have been on the top of the car for about 10 minutes
- Mr Georgatos claims the mother was unaware the child had got onto roof of car
A mother has defended herself after viral footage emerged of her autistic son sitting on the roof of her moving car while she was driving.
The 36-year-old mother, who wants to be known only as Erica, fronted the media on Tuesday alongside family spokesman Gerry Georgatos to tell her side of the story.
Shocking footage showed the nappy-wearing four-year-old boy gripping onto the roof racks of the car as Erica drove through the suburbs of Perth on Friday.
Mr Georgatos spoke on behalf of the mother, claiming she was unaware her four-and-a-half year old son was on top of the car until several minutes into the journey.
He claimed the child had been buckled into the car at the start of the ride, however at some point had unrestrained himself and climbed onto the roof.
A mother has defended herself after viral footage emerged of her son dangerously sitting on top of her moving car while she was driving, sparking widespread public interest
The 36-year-old mother, who wants to be known only as Erica, fronted the media on Tuesday alongside family spokesman Gerry Georgatos
‘He obviously scurried out the window, climbed up … onto the roof rack,’ Mr Georgatos said, adding there was a blind spot and the mother was ‘blind-sided’.
‘The mother did not suspect her children were not in the back seat,’ he continuted.
‘She had thought the three were all buckled up. When she had her first inclination (something was wrong) she did look in the back, she pulled over and she stopped.’
The child is believed to have been on the top of the car for about 10 minutes.
But neighbours claim it’s not the first time the mother has allowed the child, who is one of six siblings, a thrill ride on top of the car.
Dramatic vision from a security camera showed the boy riding on top of a silver Holden Captiva as the car drove along Wright Road in Harrisdale, just before 6pm on Friday.
The mother continued to drive with her son atop the vehicle across Piara Waters, the Southern River and on the nearby Tonkin Highway where the speed limit is 100km/h, 9News reported.
Erica claimed she was unaware her four-and-a-half year old son was on top of the car until several minutes into the journey
The mother, 36, fronted the media on Tuesday alongside family spokesman Gerry Georgatos to tell her side of the story
Other motorists attempted to alert the mother by flashing their lights and beeping at her but to no avail.
‘The child seemed fine and looked like he was enjoying himself,’ a witness told Nine News.
Other witness said they felt ‘sick to the stomach’ after seeing the young child on the moving car.
Mr Georgatos previously told 9News: ‘What happened was inadvertent. It was without a knowledge.
‘They’re shell-shocked, they’re grieving at what could have happened.’
The mother is now facing a dangerous driving charge which could result in a penalty of $3000.
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