A 10-year-old boy has been flown to hospital in a critical condition after being run over by a car in Unanderra on Wednesday morning.
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Emergency services were called to the corner of Waples Road and Mianga Crescent about 8.30am to reports of a pedestrian accident involving a child.
According to Ambulance NSW, paramedics treated the boy for a significant head injury, before he was loaded onto the rescue helicopter to be airlifted to Sydney Children's Hospital in Randwick in a critical condition.
Ambulance duty officer Inspector Nathan O'Brien said the incident has been "extremely upsetting for the first responders on scene."
"In the end, we're all human and a lot of us have children as well - that's why we do our training, so we can operate well as a team, we know what we have to do to help those who need us," he said.
"Our crews did a fantastic job in doing everything they could to provide life-saving treatment."
Lake Illawarra police chief inspector Brian Pedersen said it appeared the collision occurred when the boy crossed the road into the path of a car.
He said police had arrived to a chaotic scene, with the crash happening just outside the school zone for Farmborough Road Public School .
"[The boy] has been struck, and we believe the car may have gone over him as well," he said.
He said the boy was heading to the trauma unit at the Children's Hospital.
Waples Road remained closed in both directions near Mianga Crescent into the morning, with the public is urged to avoid the area, while the Crash Investigation Unit surveyed the scene.
Anyone with CCTV or Dashcam footage is being urged to come forward.
"Our hearts go out to the family, because from my understanding it is serious injuries and we hate to see this with any children," Insp Pedersen said, adding it had been traumatic for emergency services personnel on scene.
"A lot of them have small children, and especially kids around the same age, and some of them are taking it quite difficult as well."
Police said the male driver of a Nissan Maxima, believed to be aged about 17, had been taken to hospital for mandatory testing.
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