Trunk-or-Treat Event Leads to Tragedy Involving Eleven-Year-Old Boy in Guilford County, North Carolina

GUILFORD COUNTY, NC- Wsoctv.com writes that a child was fatally struck by a car late last week during a trunk-or-treat event in Guilford County. The boy was attending a church event when he was hit by a Jeep SUV while crossing the road. The boy’s condition was initially reported as critical, but the family later reported that the child had died in the hospital from the injuries he sustained in the accident.*

The driver who hit the boy stayed at the scene and cooperated with the police investigation. 

Reports indicate that the child was with a group of other children crossing Haw River Road when he was struck. The child underwent two brain death exams over the course of the weekend and was ultimately declared dead. 

Pedestrian deaths are a major problem in the United States, and the number of people killed each year continues to rise. SUVs and other large cars which are popular with American drivers create greater risks to pedestrians than smaller sedans. Halloween presents even greater risks as thousands of children head outdoors, often until after dark, walking from house to house trick-or-treating. Groups of excited children are prone to making erratic and unpredictable moves and are often highly distracted. As a result, Halloween presents a risk of children being fatally struck by a car that is more than twice as high as any other day of the year. 

Everyone can do their part to reduce the risk of accidents. Parents can accompany young children, apply reflective tape, or give kids glow sticks in the dark to make them more visible and avoid costumes that include vision obstructing masks. Drivers should exercise extra caution on Halloween, and new drivers should avoid the roadways entirely. 

Accident News is a safety and education initiative from Montlick & Associates, designed to help people better understand and thereby avoid common accident causes.  To learn more about our injury prevention programs, including iridesafe.com - click here. We hope you are never in an accident, but if you or family member are injured, call Montlick & Associates 24/7 for your free consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333) or use our live chat at Montlick.com.

Source:https://www.wsoctv.com/news/north-carolina/-we-need-a-miracle-nc-boy-critically-injured-at-trunk-or-treat-event/1004390087