Parenting influencer Kelly Hopton-Jones has opened up about accidentally running over her young son, Henry, with her car, calling the incident a “true nightmare” for a mother.
The mother of two children — whom she shares with husband Brian Hopton-Jones — posted an emotional statement about the car accident Wednesday on Instagram. Her post included photos of herself holding her nearly two-year-old son’s hand while he was in the hospital.
“Today has been the worst day of our lives. Life can change in the literal blink of an eye,” she wrote, while recalling the details of her day with her daughter, Lily, minutes before the car accident. “A true nightmare for a parent happened to us today. It started like any normal day. I was taking Lily to get donuts before her dance performance.
“Brian was staying home with Henry and was going to meet us there,” she continued. “He helped Lily into the car and was waving goodbye between our car and Henry, who was in the garage. In a matter of seconds, our son was run over by our car. I was driving.”
Hopton-Jones noted that her neighbors then “stepped in immediately and took Lily,” while the influencer and her husband rushed to take Henry to the emergency room.
Henry received a series of X-rays of his legs, chest, and neck, which all came back normal. A CT scan showed there were no injuries to organs or spinal cord, while a neurological exam showed “no signs of head injury or impairment.”
However, according to Hopton-Jones — who frequently posts videos on Instagram about raising toddlers — her son has “fractures to his pelvis that will take time to heal, as well as a few abrasions.”
“What stays with me is the doctor saying: ‘He is hurt, but this is something he can recover from.’ A true miracle,” she continued. “We are in shock. We are so sad. But we are so incredibly grateful…We keep replaying it, trying to understand how this could have happened when we were right there. I don’t have the answer.”
However, Hopton-Jones said the accident has changed her family, explaining it’s now a “non-negotiable” to hold her kids’ hands around vehicles, and she cannot assume that her kids will stay where she saw them last. “Even when you are not distracted. Even when you are not rushing. It can still happen in the blink of an eye.”
In the caption, she confessed how easy it’s been for her to “start questioning everything,” including things she could have done differently before the accident happened. “Why weren’t we holding him. Why didn’t I double check before pulling out,” she added. “We could drive ourselves crazy with the what ifs, and honestly, we are a little bit.
“And I keep coming back to what I would tell my own kids one day if this happened to them. It would be a lot kinder than the things we’re telling ourselves right now. Accidents happen, and the only mistakes are the ones we don’t learn from,” she concluded. “We’re on the lucky side of a very tragic accident.”
Hopton-Jones’s friends and followers sent her messages of support in the comments, while praising how open she was about the terrifying accident.
“Thank you for being vulnerable and sharing – it’s a learning opportunity for all us parents and not something I could have even thought of happening!!!” one wrote while another said, “Thanks for sharing this. Accidents happen and you deserve compassion and I hope that’s all you’re receiving. If not-sending love your way.”
Influencer Emilie Kiser, whose three-year-old son died in May 2025 after he drowned in their family’s pool, wrote: “I’m so incredibly sorry.”