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| Police say girl, 2, dies after mom backs over her with minivan |
| By BRIAN HAYNES A 2-year-old girl died Thursday after her mother backed over her with the family minivan, Las Vegas police said. Paramedics tried to revive the girl, but she died at the scene of the accident, which occurred about 1 p.m. outside the family's apartment at 6661 Silverstream Ave., near the Rainbow Curve, Sgt. Tracy McDonald said. The 23-year-old mother, Darcy Wykoff, believed the toddler was in their apartment with the father and did not see the girl until it was too late, he said. "This is a very, very tragic set of circumstances," he said. Neighbor Josette Hernandez said she heard screaming outside her apartment and went to investigate. She came outside to find the girl's father kneeling next to her and the mother screaming hysterically, she said. One bystander gave the girl cardiopulmonary resuscitation, but the toddler's pulse faded and eventually disappeared before paramedics arrived, she said. "We sat in a circle, and the mom asked us to pray," Hernandez said. "But the baby was dead." Counselors with the Trauma Intervention Program were on scene to comfort the distraught parents. McDonald said reckless driving, alcohol or drugs did not appear to be factors in the incident. Police impounded the green 1999 Dodge Caravan and will continue their investigation. "It's horrible, especially as a parent," Hernandez said. A Las Vegas toddler died the same way in May when his father accidentally backed over him. Janette Fennell, founder and president of the child-safety group Kids and Cars, said it's a growing national problem as vehicles get bigger and blind spots grow larger. According to Kids and Cars, 302 children under age 15 died in the past five years after being backed over by vehicles. Most of the fatalities were children between 1 and 2 years old, and 60 percent of the drivers were relatives. The group also cited a federal study that found 2,400 children were treated in emergency rooms last year after being backed over. "It's truly an epidemic," Fennell said. "We're losing two kids a week." Some newer vehicles are equipped with sensors and cameras to help prevent such accidents. Parents also can take simple safety steps before getting behind the wheel. Shelly Cochran of Safe Kids Clark County said parents should make it a habit to walk around their vehicles and make sure no children are present but out of sight. They also should work with spouses and other caregivers to make sure children are accounted for, she said. "One moment's inattention, and this can happen to any of us," she said. |
| ***Printed on April 01, 2005 |
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