PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE Buckle up your little ones!!

[Stick People]

As summer draws closer, I feel the need to share a very disturbing accident my DH and I witnessed last summer. Be prepared, this one is quite hard to read about.

We were on the expressway here in our state. The speeds limit is 65 and we were traveling about that speed when a women in a little red car came flying up on us like we were standing still. As she passed by I noticed a small child, probably 3 or 4 yrs old, was hanging his head out the open back window. He had the biggest smile on his little face but it was obvious he was not in a car seat or belted in. It looked like he was probably sitting on his knees, perched up as high as he could get. I turned to my husband and stated that I could not believe people still don't secure in their children. In the 60's no one knew any better, but now, there's no excuse. I then turned to my wink at my two children, safely secure in their car seat and seat belt, at least as safe as they can be in a car.

We continued on for a few miles and then noticed traffic was beginning to slow ahead of us. Soon we were at a complete stand still. We were stuck in traffic for about 10 mins and then we heard the ambulance and police coming up from behind us. We couldn't see what was causing the delay but after a few minutes more, traffic started to creep.

As we approached the accident I could hear the screaming. As we drew closer my heart sank. I saw the same little red car with the beautiful smiling face that had passed us not 15 minutes earlier. And then I saw the sheet over the tiny body in the middle of the road. The mother had attempted to switch lanes too quickly and the child was tossed from the open window and into the street. As I stated, the speed limit was 65 so that poor precious child never had a chance. I felt so bad for that mother but even worse for those poor people who had hit him. I have never heard screaming like that before.

I cannot begin to express how this has effected my soul, as well as that of my husband and children. We cannot get the image of that little face with the big smile out of our head. Whenever I see anyone now with a child bouncing around in the backseat, I call the police immediately. I have been told off by more than one mother who I've approaced to ask why her children aren't buckled in. I don't think people realize it dosen't take a collision for a small child to be tossed around in a car. And when they are hanging out the open window, there is really nothing stopping them from being launched out. Please get involved when you see this. Don't feel bad or like a rat. If I had picked up the phone the day of the accident, perhaps the police would have pulled her over before this tradgedy occured.

Bottom line, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE BUCKLE THEM IN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[CastleCreations]

Thanks for posting your story. I agree with you. It only takes a moment to buckle the kids in, and heck, when they are over age 5, they can usually do it themselves.
I've been in healthcare for 12 years and seen way too many injuries/fatalities due to MVA's with no restraints.
It's a shame about that little boy...
Lisa

 

[Nancyg56]

What a senseless tragedy. We had an accident occur not to far from our home a few years ago. An accident sent a car off the road and into a stream. There was a youngster in the car at the time. Everyone nearby searched the water and the area around it, but could not find the child. One of teh responders asked for help and lifted the vehicle. The little one was not buckled in, was thrown from the vehicle, and somehow landed underneath the car. My child was airlifted to Children's, my sister was the RFT on that flight, and was part of the team who card for the child until he died.

 

[Hannathy]

While I agree with buckling up your children ... I don't believe your post. I think it is a made up story. Sorry it doesn't add up and not how they control an accident scene. You would not have driven by a body in the road. They stop traffic until the bodies are removed or blocked. And 10 minutes till the police? who covered the body? Nah don't buy it.

If I am wrong I am sorry but make your point without extra sensationalism.

 

[Stick People]

Like i said, the police and ambulance were still coming from behind as we passed. I don't know who covered him up, there were several people and cars that had pulled over to help. Im sure it would have been in the Press in the summer of 2006.

No matter what you believe, the point is it does only take a minute to buckle them up, heck more like 15 seconds. Tradgegy occurs everyday and sometimes it's hard to grasp, but unfortunately it does happen.

 

[mrsnj91]

Wow I love this site. Such great advise and so many helpful people but sometimes it amazes me how people get attacked on this site. Unbelievable! This is the 2nd post with an attack on it over the last week I have come across. If you don't believe the story why be rude about it and post so? Just click onto another post. What is the point of making a point? The end result is still the same. I personally didn't see anything "fake" about the story. I have driven by accidents scenes all the time. Not trying to pick a fight with anyone I am just in awe over the comment that is all.

I agree...buckle up!

 

[allison443]

What a senseless tragedy.

It truly is senseless. A person would have to be living under a rock not to know that it's unsafe to not use restraints and unsafe to let a toddler hang out an open car window while traveling on a highway at a high rate of speed.

 

[kaw1218]

While I agree with buckling up your children ... I don't believe your post. I think it is a made up story. Sorry it doesn't add up and not how they control an accident scene. You would not have driven by a body in the road. They stop traffic until the bodies are removed or blocked. And 10 minutes till the police? who covered the body? Nah don't buy it.

If I am wrong I am sorry but make your point without extra sensationalism.

Obviously you've never been on I95 in Philadelphia.....because YES they will continue to move traffic around an accident if there is an open lane. And Police are always within a few minutes away.

To the OP, I am sorry you had to witness that. (even if it was the aftermath) I saw a motorcyclist after he went speeding through traffic, weaving in and out. I felt sorry for the other driver too.

 

[Rose123]

I just have to say that I have personally driven by an accident scene with the body in the road covered with the white sheet. It is so sad how people can be attacked when they are trying to be helpful.

 

[Desnik]

What a horrific, tragic story. Having been in an accident with my children where our vehicle flipped multiple times at 65 mph I know just how importanat it is to wear a seatbelt and make sure your kids are safely secure. If one of us were not wearing a seatbelt that person would've died. Also, just because you have a small child in a carseat doesn't mean they are completely safe. That carseat has to be installed properly!! My kids walked away from a horrific car accident without a scratch.

 

[Brier Rose]

While I agree with buckling up your children ... I don't believe your post. I think it is a made up story. Sorry it doesn't add up and not how they control an accident scene. You would not have driven by a body in the road. They stop traffic until the bodies are removed or blocked. And 10 minutes till the police? who covered the body? Nah don't buy it.

If I am wrong I am sorry but make your point without extra sensationalism.

I am sorry, but that is just NOT TRUE!!!

I have had the displeasure of seeing bodies from an accident covered by a sheet not once but 3 times!!

The last being on our trip home from Disney last year.

 

[CastleCreations]

I was an EMT for over 10 years. Unfortunately, if there is no other way, traffic is routed past the accident. And sometimes people see the injured for killed.

Because of the origional post, I acutally double checked my carseats this morning and found one of them had gotten loose. I'm thankful for the post, and hope others benefit from it as well.

Don't worry about the attacks...unfortunately some people are just not nice....those are the ones who visit Universal Studios...

 

[Stick People]

Disnick, thank goodness you all came through it okay. My son and I had a women run a stop sign in front of us and we T-Boned her at 45. He was 1 at the time and of course in a car seat and I was seatbelted in. Her car was totaled, she literally had no back seat left. She was also wearing a seatbelt but suffered some injuries. Our Jeep had as I recall about $9,000 in damage. I suffered a broken wrist, 2 herniated discs in my neck, needed surgery for my wrist and for my shoulder, impingement syndrome, and DS had not one scratch on him. NOT ONE scratch! During the accident we hit a few trees so for awhile after that everytime we got too close to trees while driving or parking he would get upset, thinking we were going to hit the trees again. That was the only thing he took from the accident, bad memories, but no scars. I honestly don't know if we'd be here today if we weren't buckled in.

I've been preaching the praises of seatbelts and car seats since then, but witnessing this accident with the boy just rattled me to the core. To know that it was so easy to prevent it from ever happening is hard to deal with.

Peace to you all and safe travels always!

 

[Stick People]

Obviously you've never been on I95 in Philadelphia.....


This was just outside Philly on the AC Expressway - heading to the shore on a I believe Friday night. Now that's traffic like from no other world

 

[Desnik]

Disnick, thank goodness you all came through it okay. My son and I had a women run a stop sign in front of us and we T-Boned her at 45. He was 1 at the time and of course in a car seat and I was seatbelted in. Her car was totaled, she literally had no back seat left. She was also wearing a seatbelt but suffered some injuries. Our Jeep had as I recall about $9,000 in damage. I suffered a broken wrist, 2 herniated discs in my neck, needed surgery for my wrist and for my shoulder, impingement syndrome, and DS had not one scratch on him. NOT ONE scratch! During the accident we hit a few trees so for awhile after that everytime we got too close to trees while driving or parking he would get upset, thinking we were going to hit the trees again. That was the only thing he took from the accident, bad memories, but no scars. I honestly don't know if we'd be here today if we weren't buckled in.

I've been preaching the praises of seatbelts and car seats since then, but witnessing this accident with the boy just rattled me to the core. To know that it was so easy to prevent it from ever happening is hard to deal with.

Peace to you all and safe travels always!

So sorry you had to experience that. My DD was almost 8 at the time. She also was scarred by her memories and fears. It really took a good year and a half for her to recover. Bad dreams, trouble in school, it was too much for her to handle. She saw the entire accident as it unfolded. Thankfully DS was asleep in his carseat. We were traveling on a highway and were about 5 miles from our home. I was drivinmg, DH was the passenger with the kids in the back. I was traveling east on a 2 lane highway, doing the speed limit, which is 65mph. A tractor trailor was traveling West on the highway and it detatched and the trailor(think 18 wheeler)came rolling through the median and into my lane as I was driving. I had to think quick and avoid hitting it because if we did we would've died. We hit some things, and flipped numerous times. DH and I lost consiousness and we had no clue we flipped. we landed on my drivers side door and a wonderful man that was driving behind us pulled us out of the vehicle through the sunroof. DH and I had injuries, disks in our neck and back herniated. But DH got the worst of it and had to have surgery on his hand/wrist. The state trooper that came to talk with us at the hospital told me that we escaped death that day and he didn't know how we were all alive. He thanked me for having a carseat that was correctly secure becausehe had seen one too many accidents where the seat wasn't in correctly and it got tottally ejected from the car! It was a horrific event and talkig/writing about it still makes me tear up. It wasn't even 2 years ago. I can't imagine how that mother(in your story) will go on knowing that she could have prevented what happened.

 

[3DisneyBuggs]

The story does sound like one that is usually circulated through emails. The content may not be all true but the message is. Remember to buckle up your kids and yourself. Senseless tragedies do occur everyday.

 

[wdwfamilyinIL]

To the op, I too am so sorry you had to witness that preventable event. Why is it we can't remember what we want to, but the other things never go away. You mentioned that you call 911 whenever you see another child not in his seat. Not only do I see a ton of children on laps, but I have lost count on how many times the cops drive on by like they didn't see a thing. While I think parents should take care of their children, when they don't someone should step in, but not here.

 

[TheDizMom]

I am going to get nailed big time for this comment but I have to say it. As a parent who has lost a child (not in a car accident) I know how blessed I am to have my 2 survivng children. I just don't understand how a parent can be so reckless with their childrens lives. They are a gift and a privelage and it gauls me at the sheer stupidity of parents who don't think they should need to put their children in a car seat and, just as importantly, a booster seat when they are 40lbs. or more. In my opinion parents who don't properly restrain their children in the car shouldn't be parents (this is where I am going to get nailed and I don't care)!!!!! Once you have lost a child you can never take their presence in your life for granted.

 

[natenapril]

I am going to get nailed big time for this comment but I have to say it. As a parent who has lost a child (not in a car accident) I know how blessed I am to have my 2 survivng children. I just don't understand how a parent can be so reckless with their childrens lives. They are a gift and a privelage and it gauls me at the sheer stupidity of parents who don't think they should need to put their children in a car seat and, just as importantly, a booster seat when they are 40lbs. or more. In my opinion parents who don't properly restrain their children in the car shouldn't be parents (this is where I am going to get nailed and I don't care)!!!!! Once you have lost a child you can never take their presence in your life for granted.

Why should you get "nailed" for this? It is comon sense. Our children should be treasured. How hard is it to safely secure them in a vehicle?

 

[TSMRunnels]

I too call the police immediately if I see a child not buckled in. How sad for that child! I hope you continue trying to educate people about this serious issue.
tam