Scene of Rollover Crash in Phelan, California
PHELAN – California
A 6-month-old infant who was not strapped into a car seat was thrown from a vehicle Monday morning during a rollover crash, California Highway Patrol officials said.
The baby was transported to Loma Linda University Medical Center. No details on the child’s condition were available.
A 13-year-old boy and 8-year-old girl who also weren’t wearing seat belts suffered minor injuries in the crash, as did the female driver of the vehicle. The driver was also taken to Loma Linda hospital for treatment.
At about 7:30 a.m., CHP officials received calls of a rollover on Johnson Road just north of Palmdale Road, according to Officer Matt Hunt.
When they arrived, they found the female driver holding the infant who had been thrown from the 2002 Dodge Ram pickup truck, Hunt said. The two older children were also outside of the vehicle.
According to an initial investigation, the 41-year-old woman was driving the truck south along Johnson Road toward Palmdale Road when she said she saw a dog in the road. She swerved to avoid striking the animal, causing the truck to roll over onto its roof.
“As it overturned, the infant was ejected from the vehicle,” Hunt said.
The incident is still under investigation and Hunt said no arrests had been made as of Monday afternoon. However, Hunt reminded drivers that anyone traveling with small children should always use a properly installed car seat and seat belts.
“Not only is it the law but it’s always the safest way to travel,” he said. “Anyone who may have problems with (car seats) can go to any CHP station to have assistance with properly installing them into their vehicle.”
Anyone with information on the crash is asked to contact Hunt in the Victorville CHP office at (760) 241-1186.
This is an example of what I would consider to be endangering children.
There is absolutely no excuse for not having children in your car wearing seatbelts, or not having a 6 month old infant strapped into a proper child seat.
I am sure the mother who was driving the car feels terrible; however, she could have got all 3 of her children killed just because she did not take a little extra time to strap them in with seatbelts and child seats.
Even if you are going just around the corner, make sure your children are properly buckled in.
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