Police investigate an incident where a 17-month-old girl was run over by her mother’s car. The mother was reversing when she ran over her daughter, who was rushed to a hospital. The young girl died a short time later.
The incident occurred around 10:50 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 3 in the 18400 block of Faust Avenue in Detroit, reported FOX2Detroit.
18-Month-Old Child Dies After Being Struck by Car
A similar incident occurred recently when an 18-year-old Houston, Texas mother was charged after her 18-month-old son was killed in an apartment complex parking lot on Aug. 14, according to multiple reports.
Gissel Vasquez was walking in the parking lot of the Big Red Apartments in the 6300 block of Tierwester carrying her 2-month-old baby. Unknowingly, Vasquez’s 18-month-old son was following his mother and sister. The young boy had fallen behind and was struck by a car, according to the Houston Chronicle.
Right before the 18-month-old was struck, Vasquez had walked into the apartment and closed the door behind her, leaving the toddler outside, along with the toddler’s cousin, prosecutors said during a trial on Aug. 15, Houston Chronicle reported. Both the toddler and the toddler’s cousin were around the same age.
A car hit the 18-month-old boy and then drove off, according to police, ABC 7 reported. After being struck, the 18-month-old was unconscious, lying on the ground on the parking lot.
Vasquez told police officers who arrived on the scene that it was after she realized her older son was not following her she went outside, Houston Chronicle reported. She ran to him and tried to save him, but the 18-month-old did not respond to be resuscitation, according to police. ABC 7 said the police pronounced the child dead at the scene.
The driver of the car who struck the 18-month-old returned to the scene, and officers immediately issued her a field sobriety test, which was standard after fatal car incidents involving deaths, according to the Houston Chronicle. Police were not sure whether the driver knew that she had struck the 18-month-old while she was driving during the incident.
Child Puts Car in Reverse, Accidentally Runs Over Mother
Another incident occurred in May, where a mother was struck by her car and seriously injured after her child accidentally put the car in reverse while she was loading the vehicle.
Chelmsford Police Chief James Spinney said the 37-year-old woman, who authorities haven’t identified, is expected to survive the Sunday morning incident.
“The woman was taken by ambulance to a Boston hospital with traumatic injuries but was conscious and able to speak to first responders at the scene, according to police,” according to a patch report.
Police said the woman’s 9-year-old son shifted the car into reverse while she was standing at the open driver’s side front door.
They said the woman tried to dive for the brake pedal, but was pinned and then run over by the vehicle.
The vehicle continued down the driveway and came to a stop after striking a rock wall opposite the house.
The child wasn’t injured. The accident is under investigation.
NTD staff writer Paula Liu & AP contributed to this report
