An 18-month-old girl was killed when her own father backed over her in front of the family’s home. The child wandered out of her home in Ohio and walked behind her father’s Chevrolet Suburban as he was backing out of the driveway to go to church. The car struck his daughter, pulling her beneath the sport utility vehicle; she was pronounced dead at a local children’s hospital. The man and his family were devout Catholics, and he was on his way to Mass when he ran over his daughter. The child was the youngest of eight in the family.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 2,000 children are treated for injuries suffered when they are struck by a vehicle driving in reverse; two children die each week as a result of these types of car accidents. Most of the victims are between one and two years of age. Sadly, the majority of accidents involve a truck or SUV driven by a parent or other close relative.
To avoid this tragic type of car accident, you should:
- Walk all the way around your vehicle before driving it
- Know where your children are; make sure they’re in full view
- Explain to children that parked cars might move and that even though they can see the car, the driver may not see them
- Teach children to never play around or behind any vehicle
- Always set your emergency brake
- Keep toys and bikes off the driveway and away from vehicles
- Never leave children alone around cars
- Keep keys away from a child’s reach
- Keep vehicles locked at all times
- Never leave children unattended in or around vehicles
Accidents like this are tragic enough when the happen to one family, but what about when another individual is the cause? Driveways are one location, but what about parking lots? If your child has been injured or killed due to negligence, please contact an experienced injury lawyer in your area.
