The Brief
A toddler was killed in a traffic crash on Tuesday morning in Plant City.
Police say a woman backing out of her driveway hit the young boy.
Kids and Car Safety officials said that at least 50 children are backed over because a driver could not see them every week in the United States.
PLANT CITY, Fla. - A Florida toddler was killed on Tuesday morning after a woman hit him while backing out of her driveway, police say.
What we know
Officers with the Plant City Police Department (PCPD) responded to a traffic crash around 10 a.m. on Tuesday within the 1700 block of East Ohio Street.
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Police say when they arrived at the scene they found that a woman backing up from a residential driveway failed to see a toddler standing behind the vehicle. The woman then hit the toddler with the vehicle.
The child sustained serious injuries and died a short time later, officers say.
What we don't know
Police have not yet released the exact age or name of the child. It is unclear if the woman driving the car will face any charges.
What's next
The investigation into the incident remains active and ongoing.
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What they're saying
"The Plant City Police Department shares our condolences to the affected family," the department said. "They are in our prayers during this difficult time."
"These tragedies are not only predictable, they are also preventable!" leaders of Kids and Car Safety said.
50 children in U.S. backed over every week
Big picture view
Kids and Car Safety, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to saving the lives of children and pets in and around vehicles, said children aged 5 and under are the most at-risk of being backed over and, in the majority of cases, the driver is a direct relative or loved one.
Officials from the nonprofit said that at least 50 children are backed over because a driver could not see them every week in the United States. An average of 60 additional children per week are also injured or killed in the blindzone in front of vehicles, according to the organization.
Leaders of the nonprofit said rearview cameras are a critical first step in addressing backovers, because you cannot avoid hitting something or someone that you cannot see. They said a rearview camera is not a foolproof solution, as they have seen backovers happen when a child approaches the vehicle from the side.
"One very important thing parents of young children can do is childproof their home so that their children cannot leave the house on their own by using childproof door knob covers and/or door alarms to be alerted if a child attempts to exit the home," Amber Rollins, director of Kids and Car Safety, said. "So many backover, frontover and other tragedies can be prevented if the child cannot exit the home on their own."
The Source
This story was written based on information shared by the Plant City Police Department and Kids and Car Safety.
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