Tragically, accidents happen. What’s most heartbreaking about some of these mishaps is how some can be prevented. How often do we purchase something for our home and read the instruction manual or other accompanying information? I’d suspect rarely.
A 3-year-old little boy from Snohomish County in Washington was killed when he fell off a riding lawn mower. He was out with his father who was operating the machine. The county sheriff’s office tweeted last week the toddler was run over.
Authorities pronounced the unidentified little boy dead at the scene. Spokeswoman Shari Ireton told Q13 Fox, “witnesses reported that the boy fell off and went under the mower.”
The boy’s death was declared an accident. According to The Consumer Product Safety Commission fact sheet about riding lawn mowers states that children should “never” be carried on mowers “even with the blade(s) shut off.”
“They may fall off and be seriously injured or interfere with safe mower operation,” the fact sheet states.
“Children who have been given rides in the past may suddenly appear in the mowing area for another ride and be run over or backed over by the machine.”
With summer approaching, folks will be out mowing their lawns. Please ensure children aren’t underfoot or in the way. Let’s prevent any further loss of young lives.