It was supposed to be a joyful reunion for one Minneapolis family, as the father returned from his fourth tour of duty in Iraq on Saturday. His wife and four children were just walking into the airport terminal, when a car swerved into one of the kids and dragged him towards a concrete barrier. Just like that, a car accident turned a happy moment into a fearful and life-threatening incident.

The car accident left the 6-year-old boy with serious injuries that included a broken leg and multiple facial injuries. The boy's mother said the child may need reconstructive surgery to repair the damage to his jaw.

As is so often the case, driver negligence plays a primary role in a car accident and that appears to be what happened here. Police arrested the 61-year-old driver on suspicion of criminal vehicular operation.

The mother was shaken by the incident, and could not believe the actions of the driver. "This guy turns the corner and he just ran over my son and dragged him 10 or 15 feet," she said. "He didn't even slow down. He didn't even stop until he hit a concrete wall."

It is an unfortunate fact, but when someone is operating a vehicle, pedestrians and bystanders cannot control the actions of the driver. Anyone's life can change in an instant if the driver is negligent, and in the world today there are many distractions that can take a driver's mind off what they should be focusing on - the road. A car accident can happen by a simple glance towards a cell phone or a GPS device.

The boy underwent surgery when he arrived at a St. Paul hospital following the car accident, but details on his condition were not released.

Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press, "Boy hit by car at airport before reunion with dad," Dec. 17, 2011