DS 8 almost got hit by a car tonight

[LivinLaVidaLoki]

After attending a school fundraiser we were walking back to the car a few streets away with some other children/parents.
We went to cross a road (wide road with like an island in the middle).
DS has never EVER crossed a road without me or DH holding his hand but for some reason tonight he just bolted after his friend (they were already at the island bit) as a car came speeding up the road (seriously it was going some)I panicked and screamed and went to run after but as I screamed DS stopped. In the road.
The driver didn't brake until the last possible minute and missed DS by about a foot. If that.
All that happened within seconds.
He seems ok. I don't think he realised how close it was or how serious it could have been. Which is lucky for him in a way. But the car was going so fast he wouldnt have had a chance.
I'm laid here now and I cant switch off.
I'm still laid awake as every time I try to switch off I keep seeing him illuminated in those headlights. He looked so tiny.
And I keep thinking why did I scream?? That made him stop?? some weird instinct made me do it and I cant switch off from the whole thing.

Its so awful when this happens - obviously not as awful as if he had been unlucky. I still remember a near miss ds had, but the trauma of reliving it in my head faded quite quickly, hopefully it will for you too. Maybe tomorrow talk to him about what should have happened differently.

He needs to understand how close it was and how serious it could have been, surely? He’s 8. He shouldn’t be running into the road without looking.

This happened to me when DD was 3, she's a teenager now and I still feel that panic when I think about it. I was lucky it was a slower driver with good brakes as she bolted from me (had never done so before) and I just screamed at her, my feet wouldn't move for me to go after her until after the car had stopped.

It's definitely worth speaking to him about how differently things could have ended up, I'm sure it gave him a fright as well so hopefully that's enough for him to be more careful now.

He’s 8. I think that’s old enough to tell him off and even ground him for running off like that.