On Monday afternoon, an Oklahoma car crash took the life of a five-year-old child and injured two other people. According to KFDX News Channel Three, the incident happened on Cache Road, about a mile west of Big Bow Road. For currently unknown reasons, a Ford F-150 pickup truck ran off the roadway and struck an electrical pole. The truck rolled and a child was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead on the scene.
10-year-old in Critical Condition
KFDX News also reports that a 10-year-old child was transported to an Oklahoma hospital in critical condition. The driver of the truck was also injured. There were three other passengers in the truck, but no additional injuries were immediately reported. Additionally, there’s no word on the condition of the 10-year-old victim. Very little information has been released about this crash which is likely still under investigation with law enforcement authorities. All six people in the automobile were from Snyder, and officials are trying to determine if any of the passengers were properly restrained.
Child Passenger Safety Week
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is getting ready to publicize their “Child Passenger Safety Week,” which begins on September 14, 2014. Since automobile accidents are the leading cause of death for children from ages one to 13 years old, the NHTSA wants to raise awareness about the importance of properly restraining children in cars. The Child Passenger Safety Week will end on National Seat Check Saturday, which is on September 20, 2014.
Child Passenger Safety: Just the Facts
- From 2008 to 2012, over 3,390 children were killed in car crashes across the U.S.
- During that five-year time period, an estimated 613,000 children were injured in crashes.
- In 2012, 121,000 children under the age of 13 were injured in car wrecks.
- Every 34 seconds, a child under the age of 13 is involved in a collision.
- In 2012, among children under the age of five, an estimated 284 lives were saved by using proper child restraint systems.
- Car seats reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71 percent for infants and by 54 percent for toddlers.
The team at Altman Legal Group sends their deepest condolences to the family members and friends of the five-year-old child who was killed in this crash. We also wish a speedy and full recovery to the child in critical condition.