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This Terrible accident should serve as an important reminder to parents

Many of us live in a neighborhood where there are many children who are playing outside all hours of the day on the sidewalks and in the street. So when cars are backing up out of their driveways, extra caution is always needed as accidents can happen so quickly.

There have been times where I, myself, has seen younger children unknowingly run past a car which is in reverse. The kids are too involved in their play or riding their bike to even notice the rear lights on a vehicle.

Often the bigger cars, SUVs or trucks make it even harder to see in the rear view mirror. Newer vehicles have rear view cameras, which making reverse driving much more safe.

However, it’s every parent’s worst nightmare to think that they could back up and hit a child.

That’s exactly what happened when a pick-up truck backed up over a toddler in Ohio.A 23-month-old boy ran into the path of a pickup truck as it was backing out of a driveway in Brown Township near Fletcher.

A 23-month-old boy reportedly ran into the path of a pickup truck as it was backing out of a driveway in Brown Township near Fletcher. Marcus Bowers sadly died at the scene.

The accident happened around 4:30 p.m. in the afternoon when Bowers reportedly ran into the path of the truck going in reverse, and the driver didn’t see him. “A relative was going to back out of the drive way to leave and did not see the 2-year-old and struck the child,” said Chief Deputy Dave Duchak who is with the Miami County Sheriff’s Office.

At this stage, the sheriff’s office did not disclose the identity of the driver or his relation to Bowers.

The childs father called 911 crying for help.

The police arrived on the scene, emergency vehicles also lined up in the driveway. But the boy couldn’t be saved, sadly.

The family is now receiving counseling to handle the overwhelming grief following the tragic accident.

“Children are so small and with some of the bigger cars, it makes it really hard to see sometimes and kids are so fast and agile. They can get away from ya,” Duchak said.

“It’s a terrible, terrible tragedy and obviously the family is going through a lot.” 

It’s such a horrific reminder to always be alert of your surroundings when driving or backing up in the driveway. Kids can easily just run into the path of a vehicle.

Tips To Stay Safe

• Before getting into the vehicle, walk all the way around it, to make sure children are not under or behind the car. If children are outside, have them stand away from the car with another adult until you have left the driveway.
• Park your car so that you can pull forward instead of having to back out. If you need to back out, check all your mirrors, and do so carefully.
• Try not to use the driveway for play. It is better to find a safe spot for your child to play that is away from all parked or moving cars.
• Pick up any toys, bikes, chalk or other play items near the driveway that could attract children.