Boy, 4, takes van, kills newborn

[sinkingfeeling]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39456463/ns/us_news/

BURLESON, Texas — Police say a 4-year-old boy in Texas managed to start a van then run over a woman and her 3-week-old child, killing the newborn.

Police Cmdr. Chris Havens says the mother was hospitalized after the accident Thursday night in Burleson, 10 miles south of Fort Worth.

He says the 4-year-old climbed behind the wheel of the vehicle, started the van and put it in gear. He had a 5-year-old passenger.

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. Oh god!!

:cry:

[leveymg]

2. I managed to drive a stationwagon over a small pine tree when I was 8.

Fortunately, nobody was in the way, and nothing suffered (much) but the tree. . . and my fanny, when my Dad got me home.

I was lucky. Tragedy for that family.

[JanMichael]

3. That is an ugly headline; it sounds as if the child killed the infant on purpose

The "news" is getting ridiculous.

[subsuelo]

4. anything to get you to click n/t

[Subdivisions]

5. That's in my county. What a tradedy. RIP little one. The mother's pain and anguish is

profoundly unimaginable. May she find some sort of comfort and peace in the endless days to come.

:cry:

[pipi_k]

6. What the hell is it with people...

who can't take two friggen seconds to remove the keys from the ignition???

another few seconds to lock the doors


sigh...

[ecstatic]

7. What a tragedy! How did he reach the pedals???

in a van??

[Obamanaut]

14. This is odd. My car starts in 'P' (park), and won't shift out of 'P' unless

the brake pedal is depressed.

Yours is a good question re pedals.

[Xenotime]

8. This is what happens to states that lack proper regulation.

[ManiacJoe]

9. For example?

[proteus_lives]

10. Explain please.

Because I don't see how the state could have prevented this.

[ManiacJoe]

11. The woman attempts to stop the van while holding the baby?!?!?

Gonna have to blame the mom for for the baby's death.
There is an adult somewhere who needs to explain why the keys in an unlocked car with kids around.

[slackmaster]

12. Was the kid texting while driving?

:argh:

[krispos42]

13. It must have been an older model, then

Newer ones won't let you take the shifter out of "Park" unless the brake pedal is pressed.


:-( I'm glad my car has the interlock. It's actually why I preferred driving a stick... even if my kid managed to depress the clutch while starting the car he's virtually certain to stall it out almost immediately.

[sinkingfeeling]

15. Actually, I had two dogs knock my emergency brake off (on the console) and get it to roll

backward, down a slight grade, into a row of posts between two commercial properties! We were at the vet's and I had one dog inside and two other, younger ones in the car. Another dog came in and the 'boys' were jumping around, barking their fool heads off. I saw the car rolling and ran for it, but it wiped out two posts (about 3 feet tall and 6 inches in diameter) before I got to it.