News Child ejected from car in car seat today!

L

LuciaBella

Guest

• Jan 4, 2010

• #1

Took place in the Central District today in Seattle, WA.
As I read the article I noticed it said the 3 year old was ejected. Notice the car seat that is on the ground is a Graco Snugride. Not sure about you guys, but most kids outgrow the snugride before their 1st birthday...I've never heard of any 3 yr old fitting in it unless they are maybe a dwarf.

This is a bad case of misuse. I hope the child is ok.
http://www.king5.com/news/local/Child-ejected-from-vehicle-in-Seattle-crash-80639202.html

 

LM4M

CPST Instructor

• Jan 4, 2010

• #2

Holy crap! That is sad

 

Mae

Well-known member

• Jan 4, 2010

• #3

Child safety seats are easier to install in newer model cars with a latch system. In older model cars it can be more difficult. But we still don't know why that car seat ejected or who is at fault. That is something police will determine in the days and weeks ahead.

Click to expand...

:scratcheshead:

I'm willing to bet that the child was too big for the seat, at three years old.

Incredibly sad.

 

L

LuciaBella

Guest

• Jan 4, 2010

• #4

NannyMae said:

:scratcheshead:

I'm willing to bet that the child was too big for the seat, at three years old.

Incredibly sad.

Click to expand...

Yeah, and I guess the 7 yr old that was in the car too was also hospitalized. I'm assuming they used the snugride for the 7 yr old whom is not probably not even in a booster. They probably had the snugride FF with the 3 yr old in it.

 

Cryssy Jane

New member

• Jan 4, 2010

• #5

I just heard this on the news. Scary. But I would love to see how a 3 year old could properly fit in a snugride. I know some peanuts and at 3 they either way outgrew it by height or just barely by weight.

 

TechnoGranola

Forum Ambassador

• Jan 4, 2010

• #6

LuciaBella said:

They probably had the snugride FF with the 3 yr old in it.

Click to expand...

That's what I was thinking. And with the seat belt around it some cockeyed way to hold it in place and obviously that didn't work. Very sad.

 

snowbird25ca

Moderator - CPST Instructor

• Jan 4, 2010

• #7

NannyMae said:

:scratcheshead:

I'm willing to bet that the child was too big for the seat, at three years old.

Incredibly sad.

Click to expand...

Yeah, I don't even see how on earth it's something that will require much investigation. Seems like it would be highly improbable that a 3yr old would fit in a Snugride.. How many 3yr olds are under 22lbs? And I noticed the handle was in an unapproved location in the picture, so how on earth the kid was even in the seat and buckled baffles me - unless the handle was moved after the fact of course...

Apparently both the 3yr old and the 7yr old are currently in the intensive care unit but both are expected to make it.

 

kphil

Member

• Jan 4, 2010

• #8

Thanks for posting the link. I heard the story on the radio today and was wondering how on earth that happened too, but it makes more sense now, seeing that it was a 3yo in an infant seat. Sad . I hope they all end up okay.

 

canadiangie

New member

• Jan 4, 2010

• #9

One time I helped a family in a BRU parking lot who had their 3 year old in a ff Century infant seat with the handle rotated back (would be the same as "position c" had it been a SR) with the lapbelt fed through the belt path and the shoulder portion between the shell of the seat and the handle. It was a 3 point harness, which was buckled over her, the seat was bolt upright, her head was completely above the shell.

They had no idea it was a problem.

I rarely stop people on the street, but I nearly lost my lunch when I saw that sweet little girl get buckled that way.

Please no one ask me what the outcome of my helping was. I still debate what the lesser of the two evils was in that situation.

But yeah, things like this happen.

The other day, in the same parking lot I saw someone with an expired OHS Evenflo seat with the lap/shoulder belt routed in front of the seat... like it was a booster. The baby who was riding beside her was in a ff baseless Designer 22, lap/shoulder through the belt path.


It happens. Everyday.

 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor

Staff member

• Jan 4, 2010

• #10

I hadn't heard of that.

As awful as the misuse was, this falls into the category of "better than nothing." My guess is that she was just in the seat and it wasn't buckled in. The seven year old was probably in nothing. But because the three year old was strapped into *something*, when she was ejected it saved her life. Her spine didn't hit, her head may have had some protection.

Wendy

 

T

thepeach80

Senior Community Member

• Jan 5, 2010

• #11

I had that infant seat for the boys, I bought it in Oct 03 so it's a 20# infant seat and expired by now more than likely.

 

L

LuciaBella

Guest

• Jan 5, 2010

• #12

Yeah, most likely it was used for the 7 yr old then passed down. Assuming they are siblings. So sad. I hope they make it.

I've seen several buckets FF before, especially in Southern California. There's not enough information on there. My cousin actually asked me if her bucket could turn around. She's a very intelligent person and is a teacher, so I don't think they have big enough stickers or warnings! I know there are pictures.

I'm guessing the kid was FF, buckled into the seat, but the seat itself was not buckled into the car, hence being a projectile.

 

A

arly1983

New member

• Jan 5, 2010

• #13

I *just* saw a five month old in a FFing in a snugride at C's school today. I see FFing infant seats all.the.time.