Local
Colorado Springs child’s driveway death prompts warnings about vehicle blind spots
A child in Colorado Springs was among four children killed in separate driveway or parking-lot incidents nationwide over one weekend, according to safety advocates. A child-safety specialist urges caregivers and drivers to account for blind spots and supervise children near moving vehicles.
A child died in Colorado Springs over the weekend after being struck by a vehicle in a driveway, one of four children killed in separate driveway or parking-lot incidents across the country over two days, according to Kids and Car Safety, a child-safety advocacy group.
The deaths have renewed warnings about the danger of vehicle blind spots, particularly around homes and other places where children may be playing. The child’s identity and age were not provided in the information available about the Colorado Springs incident.
Chloe Burke, data manager for Kids and Car Safety, said small children can be obscured by areas around a vehicle that a driver cannot see, with visibility affected by the vehicle’s design and the driver’s height.
Burke advised caregivers to keep children close near vehicles and teach them to stop and stay clear when a car is moving. Drivers should confirm where children are before setting off, check mirrors and use a vehicle’s camera system when available, she said.
A neighbor near North Middle School, speaking about traffic risks in that neighborhood, said many children attend school nearby and play outside. The neighbor described cars traveling quickly around a corner and said children playing in the street are especially vulnerable. The remarks concerned neighborhood safety and did not identify the location of the fatal driveway incident.
Burke called the deaths devastating and said no parent or guardian should have to experience such a loss.