Parents are being urged to ensure their children are always restrained when in cars after a crash claimed the life of a four-week-old baby boy in Western Australia.
The baby, his mother, 24, and the 31-year-old driver were travelling along River Road near Collie when the car left the road and hit a tree on Saturday night.
The baby’s grandfather has said he believed his daughter unclipped her son’s seat buckle before the crash because he was choking.
Fernley Maidment said his daughter had paid top dollar for the car seat for his grandson, and he believed it would have been a different scenario if he had not been choking.
Police said they were investigating the circumstances of the crash.
Kidsafe WA chief executive Scott Phillips said people should ensure children were always restrained when in vehicles.
“Most of the time, nothing will happen but we still keep hearing where a child is in somebody’s arms in a crash for one split second, didn’t put them in the restraint just as we went around the corner, left the pool gate open for five seconds, and we still keep having these tragedies,” he said.
Mr Phillips also drivers needed to be extra cautious on the roads during the holiday season.
“This is the time of year we’re going to travel, this is the time of year we’re probably going to stranger places, driving there, driving to relatives’ houses, a lot more cars around,” he said.
A terrible accident. Note: This is a Stock image.“As we’re winding down we need [to make sure] our decision making remains clear.”
The accident followed another crash on Friday night in Cockburn, south of Perth, in which six children suffered minor injuries after the car they were passengers in struck three stationary vehicles.
Police believe at least two of the children were not wearing seatbelts.
This article was originally published on ABC and has been republished here with full permission.
Top Comments
Choking? Are you kidding, if the baby was choking anyone with half a brain would pull over and find out what the hell was happening. I don't buy this excuse. It's a terrible tragedy and a huge price to pay for whatever reason but I'd say that we are going to hear more about what really happened here.
Doesn't make sense - choking? New babies are rear facing and tilted back. I don't see how a properly fastened car seat could choke a baby. Still a tragedy but the facts are strange.