Car, Left Idling, Kills Baby When Boy Shifts Gears
An 18-month-old girl was run over and killed Wednesday evening when her father left his car idling in the driveway of his Santa Ana home and the baby’s 3-year-old brother shifted it into reverse, police said.
The name of the baby, whose family lives in the 1800 block of South Oak Street, was not released pending notification of her mother.
Santa Ana Police Lt. Greg Cooper said the baby’s father had left the car running with his 3-year-old son in the front seat when he went to check under the hood.
While the father was looking at the engine, the baby walked to the opened door on the driver’s side, Cooper said.
As the baby was standing there, Cooper said, the 3-year-old shifted the car into reverse, knocking down his sister, whose head was run over by the car’s left front tire.
The child was dead on arrival at the hospital.
The accident occurred about 5 p.m., police said.
Earlier this month, in a similar accident in San Clemente, a 2-year-old boy was killed when a car was put in gear by a toddler inside the vehicle.
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