The 1-year-old Jefferson City boy hit by a Jefferson City police vehicle Wednesday was continuing to recover from his injuries.
Missouri Highway Patrol spokesman Cpl. Scott White said the child's injuries were considered moderate, but added he wasn't sure what the timetable would be for his release from University Hospital in Columbia.
The patrol is investigating the incident, since it involved a Jefferson City police officer.
"Officers are still gathering information; however, we do not believe the child was outside the home for an extended period of time," White said. "It appears that the child simply slipped out an unlocked rear door of the house and made his way to the street fairly quickly before being struck."
White said an accident reconstruction usually takes at least a couple of weeks to complete.
"As an example, a routine crash report takes about 10 days from completion to review and final electronic submission into the crash reporting system," he said. "The reconstructions are more comprehensive and take longer."
The police officer called the 911 dispatch at 11:02 a.m. Wednesday to say he had been involved in an accident near East McCarty and Cherry streets.
Based on the preliminary investigation, it appears the child just ran from behind a parked van into East McCarty and was struck by the police car.
Police Chief Roger Schroeder said the officer began a series of scheduled days off starting Thursday and return to duty when department officials feel he could focus his attention to his on-duty responsibilities.