2 Year Old Falls out of Moving Vehicle (Bozo Alert)

The Hutch News ^ | 08/26/02 | By Lori Kurtzman

[Rightly Biased]

Dodie Wheaton and her friend were driving into town for snow cones Sunday night when she saw the passenger door of an oncoming car open - and watched in horror as a toddler tumbled onto the road.

"Stop! Baby!" she shouted to her friend, Paul Heter, who did as instructed, and Wheaton sprinted to the middle of Woody Seat Freeway to fetch the girl.
The girl, 2-year-old Raven Schmidt, "had hit the ground hard," Wheaton said. Schmidt was responsive when emergency crews arrived shortly after 8:30 p.m., but was later taken by EagleMED helicopter from Hutchinson Hospital to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita with unknown injuries. No condition on the girl was available by 11 p.m. Sunday.
As Wheaton approached Raven, she grabbed the Hutchinson girl and pulled her into the median, waiting for the rush of 45 mph traffic on both sides to pass.
The four-door Chevy Cavalier that had dropped the girl near Avenue F continued into South Hutchinson, the driver seemingly oblivious to what had just taken place.
Raven began to cry. She was shaken, but she didn't appear to have any obvious injuries, Wheaton said.
Soon Hutchinson police arrived, blocking the right lane of the northbound section of the freeway. The girl's grandmother, Georgia Cantu, 71, who was driving the Cavalier, arrived about 10 minutes later, having realized what had happened: As Cantu drove in the right lane on the southbound section of the freeway, the girl had fiddled with the left side passenger door, managing to open it and falling out, Hutchinson Police Officer Cory Ogburn said.
Heter, of Hutchinson, and Wheaton, of South Hutchinson, stood at the side of the road, scribbling out police reports and telling their story more than a half hour after the girl had fallen. Wheaton, 57, dabbed her eyes with a tissue, shaken up about the incident but glad she had been there - despite the fact that she hadn't thought her knees, which she'd had surgery on in May, would be able to handle the sprint.
"All I could think," she said, "is that I knew that baby was going to get hit."

[Rightly Biased]

I'm not too sure what to say about this one? How 'bout
"Snowcones do save lives"
I sure do pray the Little one is OK.
RB

[riri]

Are we in the midst of an epidemic of the breakdown in the treatment of children or has it always been this bad? The difference being we are being inudated with news stories about the misuses and abuses of chidren?

[Rightly Biased]

My wife and I where just discussing that and We belive it is getting worse and worse. Mainly because our time with them is less. But to hear stories of my dad and grandfather they were physically hurt for thier actions.It seems the cases of neglect and abuse seem to be more evil now.
RB

[mombonn]

the girl had fiddled with the left side passenger door, managing to open it and falling out,

Evidently, granny hasn't heard of car seats. Glad the little girl is ok. Prayer for Ms. Wheaton - I can only imagine how much trouble I'd have coping after scooping a precious little bundle from the highway.

[Rightly Biased]

Its amazing how we are put in places at the right time just for reasons such as these, Mrs Wheaton is to be commended for sure.

[My Favorite Headache]

Car seat? My son never gets in and I never move until he is locked in his and he is going to be 3. Hell I keep the mirror right on him the entire time so he can see me.

[hole_n_one]

Shouldn't there be a hold muh Geritol alert?

[Rightly Biased]

I have two girls and the oldest is five..she's a little squirt (35lbs) and my spouse makes her sit in a booster... all locked in before anything moves actually they both get upset if we "forget to lock em in". they seem to even be a little scared of not haveing some kind of saftey restraint on. Even though dad never remembers to wear his.
RB

[Amelia]

The girl's grandmother, Georgia Cantu, 71, who was driving the Cavalier, arrived about 10 minutes later, having realized what had happened

GEEZ!!!

[Rightly Biased]

this just hit me open a door in my auto on a freeway and I hear it....HMMMM

[misanthrope]

"It seems the cases of neglect and abuse seem to be more evil now."



I don't think so. My Mom has a scar on her forehead to this day from a similar "Out Of Vehicle Experience". She "took the plunge" when she was three, sixty years ago. My grandparents were suitably horrified (I still remember their recount of the story).


What we've got going on here today is sensationalist journalism driven by sanctimoniousness felt by soccermom types that think they are better at parenting than "those" mere mortals.


Having raised two kids, with two others still in the house, I have learned that it is a miracle and a blessing that any of us reach adulthood. I myself did durn near everything I could to try to kill myself before I was 20, but was fortunate (and blessed) enough, to never hit exactly the right combination.


Many of these folks who condemn those who have had these sorts of unfortunate experiences visit them have simply yet to have like events paint thier lives. For many of them, it is coming. For most of them, hopefully, it will not be catastrophic. For some, it will.


It chaps my a$$ to hear folks judging these unfortunate families as to thier suitability as parents.


If you are a parent, your time WILL come.

[hangin' chad]

Having raised two kids, with two others still in the house, I have learned that it is a miracle and a blessing that any of us reach adulthood. I myself did durn near everything I could to try to kill myself before I was 20, but was fortunate (and blessed) enough, to never hit exactly the right combination.

Tell it brother...I have two of my own. I find myself looking for help from above to get them to age 21. When I think back on my own youth I can't believe that I made it to 21...especially reflecting on the early driving years. Obviously this grandma made a big mistake but you can't account for everything that may happen...you do your best and pray.

[Rightly Biased]

I was not speaking of this instance as being "evil", but I can name recent evil abuses of children. Do I really need to list them?
Yes,I fell from the back of a moving Pickup truck at the age of ten and still have the scars to prove it and my dad was driving and knew nothing about me falling out untill he got home.I am no worse for wear beacause of the incident nor do I have delusions of blaming my dad It was my fault for dragging my feet on the road while he was driving 40mph

"unfortunate"? what is so unfortunate about this situation? do caviliers not have seatbelts?do carseats not fit in caviliers?I would say inattention and ignorance but not fortune was the main cause of this accident.
"unfortunate" families are not necessarly ignorant families.
I do have children and understand that these things happen to the most attentive and intelligently informed but I do my darndest to make sure that these things don't run rampent in my life.(prayer for the saftey of my family helps as well)
RB

[the bottle let me down]

Hell I keep the mirror right on him the entire time so he can see me.

If you're using the mirror to watch your kid, what do you use to see the traffic behind you? Are you one of those minivan driving women who looks at her kid in the mirror, swerves all over the place, and cuts people off in traffic?

[Michael.SF.]

I have learned that it is a miracle and a blessing that any of us reach adulthood

Simply surviving is a miracle?

I guess your threshold for miracles is a lot lower then mine.

Common sense and a little logic would have prevented this poor child's accident. I do not have enough facts to pass judgement on this incident, but it does seem that too many incidents involving child are the result of carelessness on the part of the parents. Unfortunately we read about it almost daily.

It is sad that it is tougher to get a driver's license then it is to become a parent.

As for Modern Miracles? How about the conjoined twins recently separated, apparently sucessfully. Now that was a miracle.

[varon]

If you're using the mirror to watch your kid, what do you use to see the traffic behind you? Are you one of those minivan driving women who looks at her kid in the mirror, swerves all over the place, and cuts people off in traffic?

My thoughts also.

[End The Hypocrisy]

>>>It is sad that it is tougher to get a driver's license then it is to become a parent.<<<


Meanwhile my research has recently revealed that at least 10% of those put up for adoption never get adopted or even permanently placed with foster parents.

[Revel]

Great comment. I was getting a little erked about the liberal types until I read your well thought out comment. People make mistakes. The question is are they sorry and do they learn from them?

[Balding_Eagle]

Simply surviving is a miracle?

You sound rather young. The short answer is yes, simply surviving IS often a miracle, as was the case here.

When I was kid my parents had a childrens book that told thhe story of a special gardian angel who watched over and protected young children. That story simply reflected the danger that all children face on a daily basis, and Gods intervention on their behalf.

Most parents, like myself, can tell harrowing stories of close calls as the kids grew up. Thank God mine made it unscathed. may you have the same experience.

[misanthrope]

RB

I read all of your posts and understand you were not "speaking of this instance as being evil".

But there are a WHOLE BUNCH of folks out there, mostly the sanctimoneous types referred to in my post #11, that WOULD want to fry this parent for her human, understandable, common, lapse of attention/judgement.

People of this sort of mind seem to be gaining control of the mainstream media, and their agenda seems to include "PRISON FOR THE DUMB BITCH" (or "BASTARD" as the case may be).

I am of the opinion that innocent mistakes and neglectful lapses in judgement (like riding on the tailgate of a pick-up, something I've let all my kids do, what would childhood be without a ride on the tailgate [hell, my Dad used to ride US on the HOOD of our '60 somethin' Mercury Monterrey]) are a part of life, to be dealt with and learned from. Hopefully, noone gets injured or killed, but if they do, the family loss is just that, a family loss, not a state matter.

I can just imagine a scenario where my brother gets badly injured or killed during one of our "hood rides",
and then my Dad gets hauled off to prison for "Child Endangerment" for 10 or 20 years. What the hell good would that serve?? NONE.

My point is, micro-management of parenting by the State is the "Evil" aspect of our situation today. "Evilness" in parenting is easy to spot, genuine abuse is no more rampant now than ever, probably less so, only more thoroughly and vigorously reported. What bothers me is when the news media paints the stuff that is traditional, normal, and proper (albeit perhaps not too smart) as "evil", and seeks the imprisonment of our Dads and Moms.