Farmington Toddler Hit by Vehicle Dies from Injuries

Little Boy Struck and Killed in a Driveway Near His Home

On Saturday evening, a tragic incident took place claiming the life of a Farmington toddler. Around 5 p.m. police and emergency responders were called to Aldergate Street regarding injuries to a 17-month old infant.

Prior to the incident, the child’s father and his three year-old daughter and 17 month-old son walked across the street to talk to a neighbor. The father and children walked back across the street and the neighbor went inside. Once back at the house, the little boy saw the man come back outside and the child apparently crossed the street. The neighbor had gotten into his pickup and attempted to drive out of his driveway when the child walked into the path of the pickup truck.

KidsAndCars.org

KidsandCars.org is a non-profit organization focused on the dangers of kids in and around vehicles. Backovers such as described above can happen in a matter of seconds. Too many children are tragically killed or injured in these type of incidents and it impacts the entire community. Many vehicle manufacturers are adding backup cameras for just this preventative purpose, but they are being phased into to newer vehicles.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is making those cameras mandatory and for good reason. Backup cameras on not just a really cool feature, but can be lifesavers. The agency wants to help prevent approximately 210 annual fatalities and 15,000 injuries cause each year by backover crashes.

NHTSA found that children under the age of five account for 31 percent of backover fatalities each year. Currently, 94 percent of 2016 models for sale in the U.S. offer at least an optional backup camera according to Cars.com data while 85 percent offer optional or standard parking sensors that alert drivers through an audible warning if they’re close to hitting an object.

The federal government has mandated that all model-year 2019 cars must have standard backup camera that’s meant to provide a clear display of the area 10-20 feet behind your car.

Speaking as a Parent……….

The above scenario is one of the many nightmares parents have as this can happen in mere seconds to the best of parents and to the best of neighbors. I have the good fortune to have backup cameras in my vehicles, and after using them, I feel they are crucial. Most parents have experienced a near-miss in one way or the other and thus, it is truly horrifying to hear about this tragic story. We are all forced to face that it could have been our child.

Vehicle cameras not only reduce the number of injuries and deaths, they assist in lowering property damage claims because drivers miss inanimate objects such as posts and parking barriers. Most importantly, these cameras and sensors help drivers avoid hitting people–children and adults they would normally not be able to see without cameras. Cameras aid drivers in parking lots where adults are often hit—adults who are aware of the dangers of vehicles.

Again, because children are not aware of the dangers, they are the most frequent victim of these incidents.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and KidsandCars.org are just two organizations promoting the safety of children in and around vehicles. Both sources contain a lot of helpful safety information that raises awareness to dangers that frankly, as a new parent I had not even considered.

I became familiar with KidsandCars.org about six years ago when my oldest child was very small and before the birth of my son. We were able to learn and implement safety reminders to increase prevention of child injuries. No one ever believes it can happen in their family, until it does. If sharing information reduces the frequency, then we must share.

What Can You Do?

If you drive a vehicle, you have the power to be a part of prevention. When backing out or pulling in and out of any driveway, it is a good idea to do a visual screening of everything around your vehicle before climbing in and pulling out. When given the option to purchase a vehicle with cameras, do so. We all know a few extra moments can be the difference in seeing a child and preventing injury.

If you have legal questions regarding motor vehicle crashes, call our attorneys 314.276.1681.