A mother has been arrested accused of intentionally setting a car on fire with her toddler inside.
Emergency services were called to the scene in Columbia, South Carolina, to find a car parked at the side of a busy highway on fire.
Four passersby had stopped to help get the child out of the car and alert the fire department.
Police described the fire at the time as suspicious and said it had injured two people.
The 14-month-old boy suffered severe burns and is in critical condition in hospital, according to a report by WACH Fox News.
His mom Caylin Allise Watson was treated in hospital for minor injuries before being taken to jail, the report added.
The 23-year-old faces charges of attempted murder, arson, abuse and infliction of great bodily harm on a child.
According to a GoFundMe page set up to help pay for the little boy’s medical costs, he suffered “2nd and 3rd degree burns on 20 percent of his body on areas around his face, hands, legs, and feet.”
An update on the page said the little boy had his first surgery and will not suffer any scarring on his face.
Sending love and strength to this little boy in the hope he will make a full recovery and will have no recollection of this horrifying event.
