Lake County, Illinois Car Accident Leaves 3-Year-Old in Critical Condition
A 3-year-old girl is in critical but stable condition at a Chicago hospital. The young girl had been playing in Fox Lake on Monday evening when a Dodge that was backing out of 23 Arlington Road struck her. The girl was pinned underneath the vehicle during the backover accident and dragged some 200 feet before the driver realized what happened. The 3-year-old broke her collarbone and sustained shoulder and head injuries during the Lake County, Illinois car accident.
Police say they may pursue charges against the motorist.
Backover Accidents
Backover accidents involve a person that is struck by a vehicle that is backing up. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that 221 people died in backover accidents in 2007. 14,000 others were injured. 99 of the deaths and 2,000 of the injuries were kids in the 14 and under age group.
Most of the backover accidents took place in parking lots and driveways. Kids and Cars founder Janette Fennell says that the NHTSA figures affirms her group’s findings that about two children a week die in the US because of backover accidents.
It is important that motorists carefully check around and behind their vehicles before backing up. Larger cars, such as vans, sport utility vehicles, and trucks, tend to have bigger blind spots.
Steps to prevent backover accidents from happening:
• Physically go around your vehicle before backing it up.
• Keep an eye on children on the road so that you don’t miss one of them running behind your car.
• Keep toys and other items kids might want to play with off your driveway.
• Drive carefully
A driver can be held liable for personal injury if negligence or carelessness caused the motorist to accidentally run over someone during a Lake County, Illinois backover accident.
Fox Lake girl critical after struck by car, Lake County News-Sun, August 26, 2009
3-Year-Old Struck By Car, Dragged 200 Feet, CBS2Chicago, August 26, 2009
221 People Killed in "Backover" Accidents in 2007, NHTSA Study Shows, Edmunds Daily, January 2009
Related Web Resources:
Kids and Cars
Automobile Back-Over Accidents: How to Avoid a Surprisingly Prevalent & Serious Accident, SixWise.com
