CHECK YOUR CHILD’S CAR SEAT
Wellington – Wellington Fire Department responded Monday afternoon to a crash on Route 58, just south of Hughes Road, and like with the crash on I-90 in Avon last Saturday this one involved a vehicle with a child in a car seat.
In Saturday’s crash, the front-end impact sent a child flying out of his car seat up to the front of the minivan in which he was riding. That child was immediately taken to Fairview Hospital’s Trauma Center. According to Avon Fire Chief Frank Root, the child in that crash was ejected from the car seat because he was not properly restrained.
In Monday’s crash a 2-year-old child was in a car seat located in the rear passenger side of the vehicle. The crash occurred when a semi, that had been hauling 7-UP, attempted to pass another truck on Route 58 just south of Hughes Road. The truck ended up in the lane of the car with the child on board. The driver of the car swerved to miss the semi but the car spun and struck the semi – the impact to the car was the rear passenger side, right where the child was seated.
According to Wellington Firefighter and specially trained Child Car Seat Technician Derick Oswald, the child in this crash was properly restrained. “The passenger side was heavily damaged, right where the child’s car seat was located. The impact was so great that it pushed parts of the car in where it was touching the car seat.”
Oswald said that even with the severe impact of the crash the child remained in the car seat. He also said that had the child in the Avon crash been properly restrained that child would have also remained in the seat. “In my opinion and with my training in child car seat safety, I believe that had the child in Avon been properly restrained there is no way he would have come loose from the seat.”
Paramedics from Central Lorain County Ambulance District treated the child and her mother, 22-year-old Brittany Gregory, and transported them to Allen Medical Center. They were both later flown to MetroHealth Medical Center for further evaluation. Gregory, who is 22 weeks pregnant, received only minor injuries and her daughter was released Monday evening.
The driver of the semi, 52-year-old Bryan Kovacevich and the driver of the Focus, Daniel Gregory refused treatment or transport.
Oswald said that this should be a reminder to anyone traveling with children in car seats to properly restrain them. “It doesn’t matter if you are just driving down the street to a local store or for a long drive, the child must be properly restrained. I encourage anyone who travels with small children to inspect their child’s car seat and make sure it is properly installed. You should read and review not only the car seat manual but also read and review the vehicle’s manual and how the manufacturer says it should be installed. Each car is different so anytime you move the car seat to another vehicle you must review the manuals.”
TMC NEWS covered Oswald and other Technicians performing safety checks last August at the Wellington Fire Department. ( AUGUST STORY )Two weeks after that story ran we covered a story in Wellington after a mother rolled her SUV with her children inside. In that crash the child in the car seat was properly restrained – the child was found still strapped in the car seat hanging upside down. The child received no injuries in that crash. ( ROLL OVER CRASH )
Oswald said that anyone with questions about child car seat safety can contact him at the Wellington Fire Department by calling 440.647.2245 or by Emailing wfdcarseat@gmail.com - Oswald said he would be happy to schedule an appointment to inspect a child’s car seat.
If you live up north, Chief Frank Root of the Avon Fire Department said that several of his Firefighters are Technicians as well – you can contact the Avon Fire Department with questions by calling 440.934.1222 or you can Email questions to info@fdavon.com
In Saturday’s crash, the front-end impact sent a child flying out of his car seat up to the front of the minivan in which he was riding. That child was immediately taken to Fairview Hospital’s Trauma Center. According to Avon Fire Chief Frank Root, the child in that crash was ejected from the car seat because he was not properly restrained.
In Monday’s crash a 2-year-old child was in a car seat located in the rear passenger side of the vehicle. The crash occurred when a semi, that had been hauling 7-UP, attempted to pass another truck on Route 58 just south of Hughes Road. The truck ended up in the lane of the car with the child on board. The driver of the car swerved to miss the semi but the car spun and struck the semi – the impact to the car was the rear passenger side, right where the child was seated.
According to Wellington Firefighter and specially trained Child Car Seat Technician Derick Oswald, the child in this crash was properly restrained. “The passenger side was heavily damaged, right where the child’s car seat was located. The impact was so great that it pushed parts of the car in where it was touching the car seat.”
Oswald said that even with the severe impact of the crash the child remained in the car seat. He also said that had the child in the Avon crash been properly restrained that child would have also remained in the seat. “In my opinion and with my training in child car seat safety, I believe that had the child in Avon been properly restrained there is no way he would have come loose from the seat.”
Paramedics from Central Lorain County Ambulance District treated the child and her mother, 22-year-old Brittany Gregory, and transported them to Allen Medical Center. They were both later flown to MetroHealth Medical Center for further evaluation. Gregory, who is 22 weeks pregnant, received only minor injuries and her daughter was released Monday evening.
The driver of the semi, 52-year-old Bryan Kovacevich and the driver of the Focus, Daniel Gregory refused treatment or transport.
Oswald said that this should be a reminder to anyone traveling with children in car seats to properly restrain them. “It doesn’t matter if you are just driving down the street to a local store or for a long drive, the child must be properly restrained. I encourage anyone who travels with small children to inspect their child’s car seat and make sure it is properly installed. You should read and review not only the car seat manual but also read and review the vehicle’s manual and how the manufacturer says it should be installed. Each car is different so anytime you move the car seat to another vehicle you must review the manuals.”
TMC NEWS covered Oswald and other Technicians performing safety checks last August at the Wellington Fire Department. ( AUGUST STORY )Two weeks after that story ran we covered a story in Wellington after a mother rolled her SUV with her children inside. In that crash the child in the car seat was properly restrained – the child was found still strapped in the car seat hanging upside down. The child received no injuries in that crash. ( ROLL OVER CRASH )
Oswald said that anyone with questions about child car seat safety can contact him at the Wellington Fire Department by calling 440.647.2245 or by Emailing wfdcarseat@gmail.com - Oswald said he would be happy to schedule an appointment to inspect a child’s car seat.
If you live up north, Chief Frank Root of the Avon Fire Department said that several of his Firefighters are Technicians as well – you can contact the Avon Fire Department with questions by calling 440.934.1222 or you can Email questions to info@fdavon.com
For those of you between Wellington and Avon, the Elyria Fire Department also has a Car Seat Safety Technician. You can contact him by calling the Fire Department at 440.323.4815.
Oswald said that the short amount of time you might spend reviewing manuals and learning how to properly install seats and properly restrain your child is nothing compared to what could happen. “Properly restrained children in properly installed car seats saves children’s lives – no question.”
To read the Child Car Seat Inspection story: CLICK HERE
To read the Roll Over story: CLICK HERE
posted by TMC NEWS at 3:26 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home