A THREE-year-old boy is in an induced coma in hospital after becoming trapped under a car as he made his way to nursery school.
Young Roan, whose family asked that his surname not be reported, remains in the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children where he has been placed in an induced coma.
It is understood he suffered extensive neck injuries in a "freak accident" involving a car.
The child, whose family are eastern European but living in the Upper Springfield area, had been making his way to school on Thursday with his mother and two older siblings when the collision happened at around 8.35am.
In dramatic scenes, motorists and passers-by rushed to the scene, at the junction of Springfield Road and Springfield Park, where together, they lifted a car off the boy.
Sinn Féin councillor Steven Corr, who came upon the scene, called emergency services, with the Air Ambulance landing at Springhill Park.
In the aftermath, Sinn Féin councillor Micheal Donnelly set up a GoFundMe page to raise money to bring some of the child's family to Northern Ireland to support his mother.
So far last night, more than £1,600 had been raised.
Speaking to The Irish News, Mr Donnelly described what had happened as a "freak accident".
"Myself and a couple of members of the community had to lift the car off the child," he said.
"I would praise the actions of the community. It was a blessing it was rush hour, there was a lot of people about."
Mr Donnelly said Roan's mother, who is aged in her twenties, had been receiving support from the community. He said the driver of the car was also being supported.
"Since the accident happened, the community have rallied and have been very supportive," he added.
He said Roan had suffered "extensive" neck injuries and had been placed in an induced coma to "let his body recover".
"The mother is a foreign national," he said.
"She has no immediate family here in Ireland and we are looking at getting some of her family over."
He said the money raised would also help pay for her travel costs to and from the hospital as she does not drive, adding that it is "going to be a difficult run into Christmas" for them.
He added: "It's been heart-warming.
"The generosity and the support from the community has been beyond amazing. It is greatly appreciated by Roan's mother."
A PSNI spokesman, who appealed for information about the crash, said the driver involved "was spoken to by officers at the scene".
