A four-year-old girl is fighting for life after being struck by a car in Hobart’s northern suburbs while her dad was repairing their Holden Commodore on the roadside.

Police say she ran from the car and into the path of another in Claremont about 1pm on Tuesday.

She has been rushed to Royal Hobart Hospital in a critical condition.

Tasmania Police Senior Sergeant Karl Krelles said nearby residents helped as best they could.

“An off-duty doctor was passing by and has provided immediate assistance prior to ambulance arrival,” he said.

Sergeant Krelles said the girl’s father had his head under the car’s bonnet when the accident occurred.

There was also another child in the car, which had earlier broken down.

“It’s a tragic set of circumstances. Children are unpredictable and we need to make sure as a driver … and as a parent, we ensure we look after our children,” Sergeant Krelles said.

The driver of the other car, a woman in her 40s, had been offered support and was extremely shaken, he said.

Speed is not thought to have been a factor in the accident. Police closed the section of Cadbury Road, where the girl was hit.

-AAP