ORANGE COUNTY PERSPECTIVE : Close-to-Home Tragedies

A parent’s worst nightmare about danger close to home came to pass in two cases in Orange County last week. Two toddlers were killed by vehicles in driveway accidents in Westminster and Santa Ana.

A 2-year-old boy died after he was run over in a neighbor’s driveway. Police said the boy had been playing with friends and his mother had been supervising but went inside to check on laundry. The boy was hit when a neighbor backed up her four-wheel-drive vehicle in her driveway.

In the other accident, a 16-month-old girl was fatally injured in her family’s driveway when, police said, a driver backed out after talking to the child’s father.

The fact that there were two incidents on the same day suggests the potential for tragedy in even the most routine movements. Children too little to know of the dangers of vehicles but big enough to dart around undetected are always at risk. These sad stories are a reminder for parents and others to be vigilant for those too young to know when they are in harm’s way.