Was Accident That Killed Toddler Preventable?
BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. (CBS) - A tragic accident in the southwest suburbs has left a 3-year-old boy dead, but could it have been prevented with better technology?
As CBS 2's Susanna Song reports, Nedao Abbelghani was backed over in his own driveway in Bridgeview.
But coincidentally, a hearing is underway in Washington, D.C., to discuss a measure that might prevent future similar accidents. The proposal calls for all vehicles to be equipped with a rearview camera to eliminate blind spots.
Nedao was killed when a relative backed over him in the driveway of his home in the 8100 block of South Odell Avenue.
Bridgeview police responded around 12:45 p.m., and the boy was hospitalized, but was pronounced dead soon afterward at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn.
A camera inside the car that ran over Nedao could have been an extra set of eyes that the driver needed to see the boy, who was too small to see from just a rearview mirror.
According to child safety advocates, 50 kids are involved in back-over accidents each week, and two children die.
Most victims are between 12 and 24 months old.
Experts say 60 percent of the cases involve a larger vehicle like a van, truck or sport-utility vehicle.
Minivans have a blind zone of up to 28 feet. For SUVs, it's 39 feet, and for trucks as much as 50 feet.
Adding the camera to every new vehicle would cost automakers an extra $2.7 billion every year, but the costs would be passed along to the car buyer.
The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.
