12-Year-Old Boy Dies in Bicycle Crash
A 12-year-old boy became the victim of a tragic collision with a pickup truck while riding his bicycle on a residential street in Oceanside, according to recent reports. The truck driver was backing out of his driveway when he said he heard a loud thump against the left side of his truck. He pulled out of the driveway then circled back and found the 12-year-old underneath the truck.
Paramedics soon arrived and began CPR efforts on the young victim, who was unconscious. He was airlifted to a local hospital, where he died.
There have been no charges filed in connection with the crash at this point. An investigation into the circumstances of the collision continue.
Backover Accidents Account for Large Number of Childhood Injuries
Children are particularly vulnerable to a phenomenon known as the backover accident. In this type of crash, the driver does not see the victim as he or she is backing up in a vehicle. The result is a crash in which a pedestrian or bicyclist is run over by the backing car. According to sources, at least 50 accidents per week in the United States involve a driver backing over a child. At least two of these victims will die of their injuries each week, resulting in more than 750
fatalities per year.
In about 70 percent of these cases, the parent or a close relative is behind the wheel when the backover accident occurs. The pain and guilt of such a tragedy is unimaginable. Experts have compiled some tips for parents to ensure that their children do not become the victims of backover accidents:
- Always check behind a vehicle by walking around it before backing out. Not only will this alert you to the fact that a child might be playing behind your car but it will also help you to avoid hitting tricycles, skateboards and other items that might be left in your driveway but would not be visible as you attempt to back your car.
- Establish a rule that all children must be in the house and under adult supervision when a car leaves the driveway.
- Install backup cameras on your vehicle. While backup cameras will not prevent all accidents, they can decrease their frequency.
- Hold children’s hands in parking lots to prevent them from darting behind a backing car.
If your child has been the victim of a backover accident, contact Dan Gilleon in San Diego for help.
