Tragic Accident at Christmas Parade in Bluffton South Carolina Kills Child

BLUFFTON, SC- Wsav.com writes that a child suffered severe injuries in the staging area of the Bluffton Christmas Parade. The victim, a five-year-old boy, died in the hospital shortly after the incident.*

The boy was on a parade float at the end of the event when he sustained injuries in the parking lot. The family said that he had been "hit" in an accident. The details regarding what transpired are not yet clear, but police say that they are talking to witnesses to determine what occurred. 

The mayor spoke to reporters following the tragic events and said that she knew the boy’s family personally as many of them live locally. In addition to the victim’s family, the mayor noted that many people in the community witnessed the accident and that the death hit hard for the witnesses and first responders.

The victim was a student at the Okatie Elementary School. The school is coordinating an effort to assist the family with their expenses and needs. 

Parking lots are more dangerous than many people realize. The National Safety Council states that part of the reason is the high number of distractions. Drivers admit to using their phones to make calls, program their GPS systems, text, email, or take photos while driving in a parking lot. All of these activities take the driver's attention away from looking for other vehicles and pedestrians.

While technology is decreasing blind spots and making backing out easier, the NSC says not to rely entirely on technology- drivers need to be aware of their surroundings, especially in places as chaotic as parking lots.  

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.wsav.com/news/local-news/family-child-dies-after-accident-at-bluffton-christmas-parade/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/south-carolina-boy-5-killed-in-christmas-parade-accident/2019/12/09/a149312e-1aa0-11ea-977a-15a6710ed6da_story.html

https://www.nsc.org/road-safety/safety-topics/distracted-driving/parking-lot-safety