Caroline Mifsud was standing outside her Sliema home yesterday morning when her five-year-old daughter suddenly ran out of the house, into the narrow street and slammed into a moving car.

Kyra Mifsud escaped only with bruises, even though the car mounted her leg.

“She never did anything of the sort. I don’t know what got into her.

“I was outside with my two-year-old daughter, Jade, waiting for her [Kyra] to finish arranging her hair so I could walk her to school.

“Then, suddenly, she ran out and into the side of the car,” said Ms Mifsud as she stroked her forehead in disbelief: “Thankfully, her injuries are not serious.”

The accident happened at about 8.15am in St Henry Street, a narrow street in Sliema. Kyra ran outside to join her mother and sister who were on the pavement just outside their house.

But, for some reason, the child ran into the street and crossed over to the other side as a Hyundai I 10 drove past her house.

Realising that her mother and sister were standing on the opposite side of the road, Kyra swerved and slammed into the passenger side of the slow-moving car. She fell to the ground and the car mounted her left leg.

“It was such a shock. I expected the worst,” Ms Mifsud said. Her daughter started crying as the car’s driver, who happened to be a midwife, stopped. Neighbours soon gathered around to help and an ambulance was called.

The midwife helped tend to the child until the ambulance arrived and took her to Mater Dei Hospital where it was established she had only sustained scratches and bruising, but no fractures.

“She struggles to walk since it hurts. But they said she should be fine,” Ms Mifsud said, adding: “She was unlucky but she was also lucky since things could have been much worse. Thankfully, the car was not moving fast.”

Heaving a sigh of relief, a neighbour in St Henry Street said: “When it comes to small children, you never know what they might do. Thank God this one was not a serious one”.