A five-year-old boy is fighting for life in hospital after being struck by the wheel of a car allegedly performing a burnout.
Queensland police said the ute was at the intersection of King Street and Morayfield Road in Caboolture, north of Brisbane, about 4:30pm yesterday, when the driver began to spin the tyres as the lights turned green.
It is alleged the rear passenger-side wheel then dislodged from the ute, hitting the boy who was walking with his family along the footpath outside Caboolture Square Shopping Centre.
He suffered life-threatening head injuries and was taken to the Queensland Children's Hospital in a serious condition.
The alleged driver of the ute, 18-year-old Blake Jennings-Davey, was arrested at the scene and charged with dangerous operation of a vehicle causing grievous bodily harm and driving a safe but otherwise defective vehicle.
It is also alleged Mr Jennings-Davey was driving an unregistered vehicle and without a license.
The matter was briefly mentioned in the Caboolture Magistrates Court today and adjourned to tomorrow, where a decision is expected to be handed down about Mr Jennings-Davey's bail application.
In court police said the child was revived by paramedics at the scene and on the way to hospital and he had significant internal injuries.
He is currently in an induced coma.
The police prosecutor told the court, it if was not for the fast response of paramedics, "the child would likely be dead".
"Whilst the child lay on the footpath the defendant walked over to him and just collected his wheel, he showed no remorse and seemed completely unaffected by the incident," the court was told.
But Mr Jennings-Davey's defence lawyer said it was worth noting his client remained at the scene.
"If he was so … uncaring, he could have left the scene," the lawyer said.
"He [Mr Jennings-Davey] wanted to assist the only way he could, [but] he doesn't know first aid, he doesn't know CPR, there were other people attending to the child at the time, he thought that all he could do at the time was to remove the debris from around the child."
The Forensic Crash Unit is investigating and police are appealing for witnesses or anyone who may have dashcam footage.
