PDA

View Full Version : Small child hit in the parking structure



Pages : [1] 2

mckygirl99
06-28-2012, 09:06 PM
Today at about 4:15 I witnessed a 3 year little girl get hit by a car on the Daisy level of the parking structure. She went up into the air and fell head first into the concrete. I don't know how she wound up out there or if the car was going too fast but I really think it was just a tragic accident. She was shaken up and crying after but we still called 9-1-1 because she truly needed to checked for head trauma. Please, please, please watch your kids out there! It happened so quickly. As much as I am trying I can't the image out of my head. I wish I knew what happened to her!

Angie2009
06-28-2012, 10:34 PM
That is so horrifying! And it can happen so fast you just can't react as a parent, at 2 or 3 or even 4 or 5 they don't all understand parking lot risks.

Drince88
06-29-2012, 03:56 AM
If she went into the air, the car was going to fast, even if she did dash out.

fairestoneofall
06-29-2012, 07:04 AM
Oh man, poor little girl. How awful. I agree with Cathy, if she flew through the air that car was going too fast. Terrible, terrible, terrible.

See boys, this is why your Momma is uber strict about hand holding in parking lots, parking garages and streets. I know you need your independence, but Momma needs you alive and healthy!

Drince88
06-29-2012, 07:37 AM
See boys, this is why your Momma is uber strict about hand holding in parking lots, parking garages and streets. I know you need your independence, but Momma needs you alive and healthy!

Amen!! That's one that all my nephews have/had emphasized every time they're in a parking lot!
I bet the 'roof' over her didn't compute in the little 3 year old brain that this was still a parking lot. But that's why we have Moms and Dads and Aunts and Uncles and.....

houseofmouse
06-29-2012, 07:45 AM
Fairest- I had the same rule when mine were little and if they were being stinkers, they got carried.
Hope she is okay.

DwarfPlanet
06-29-2012, 08:46 AM
Both sides need to take care. Kids are spontaneous even when being watched by responsible parents. While at the same time people drive to fast in the parking structure. Even though DW and use ART alot we have still parked there and I have seen numerous folks driving to fast or tailgating because responsible drivers were driving the proper speed limit.

cheshirecatgirl
06-29-2012, 09:26 AM
I too am extremely strict on this rule with my nieces. We always hold hands in parking lots and anywhere there are cars around! They protest sometimes, but I'm adamant. I don't have a lot of hard and fast rules, but this one is! That is so sad about the girl, I hope she's okay. A friend of mine was hit by a car when we were in elementary school, she was just playing in her yard and ran out into the street, and was in the hospital for a month. It really does happen so fast.

Wavesprite1
06-29-2012, 09:29 AM
That is horrifying!! We parked there this week, and the speed limit is posted at 14 miles an hour. That's pretty fast actually! People were driving MUCH faster in the areas where no cars were parked (the ramps going up, etc).

dlfansx4
06-29-2012, 09:43 AM
I hate that parking lot, just for that reason. People don't watch their kids and drive too fast. What I hate is the walkway going towards the back from the escalators. People don't look, they just step out from behind those poles right into traffic. I'm always scared that a child will pop out from there as we drive by. And I can't tell you how many times I've seen families get off the escalator and their kids go running across the lot for towards their car. Ugh....I can't stand it.

I'm so sorry for that little girl and her family. I hope she will be OK!!

mckygirl99
06-29-2012, 10:31 AM
That is horrifying!! We parked there this week, and the speed limit is posted at 14 miles an hour. That's pretty fast actually! People were driving MUCH faster in the areas where no cars were parked (the ramps going up, etc).

I agree that 14 MPH is still pretty fast. My husband and I have a Honda Pilot and as we drove out we drove exactly 14 and realized if a child darted out in front of us it would have been impossible to react and could seriously injure or kill someone! I really don't think it was the driver's fault but the parents'. I have a very strict rule for my son in any parking lot, especially now that he doesn't have a stroller. My son saw the little girl crying and knew what happened so we spent some time talking about it last night.

Drince88
06-29-2012, 11:04 AM
I think 14mph is too fast for a parking garage with small children about.
I do think both sides are to blame on this, though. If the child went into the air, the driver wasn't going 14mph, and even if he were, clearly 14 was too fast in this parking garage.

I'm glad you were able to talk with your son about it, mckgirl99! Hopefully he'll need less reminding from you when you're in parking lots in the future!

MommyTo3Boys1Girl
06-29-2012, 12:37 PM
I still make my almost 9yo walk right next to me in a parking lot. People just always drive way too fast, & he still isn't really tall enough to be seen when he is walking behind a truck or larger SUV.
Sure hope she is going to be ok.

tea4two
06-29-2012, 02:28 PM
This is such a good reminder for us to check, check, check again before backing out and to drive slower than the posted limit. We try to be careful, but since Disney cut back on the number of CMs in the structure we've seen some crazy things happen. Some people do drive carelessly and way too fast (like racing the wrong way up/down an aisle to grab a parking spot), but we've also seen parents/guardians playing tag/chase games with the kids up and down the aisles, letting the kids run free or encouraging them to do so (GO! RUN to find our car! ALL BY YOURSELF!), and then there are the teenagers pulling stunts on each other... If only common sense were way more common!

Mom2
07-02-2012, 10:50 PM
How sad. I hope she is okay. I think it is time for Disney to change that sign to 5 mph and that might still be too fast. There needs to be a sign that says to watch your speed and watch for chilren! That 14 mph I was told was for the trams as if they posted a 15 mph then the law would force them to add seatbelts. That is fine for the tram areas but only there! I am going tomorrow and will for sure stop by City Hall to suggest some changes be made.

Blacksheep Uncle
07-03-2012, 08:49 AM
you know 5 mph is only slightly more than 1/2 the speed an electric wheelchair can go right? ...in my person experience there are a lot more near misses with those in the park than with cars in the parking garage

if a change needs to be made, IMO it should be with how people are directed in and out of the garage so they aren't walking in the same place people are driving...and it is no different than any other large parking lot and maybe responsible adults should be, well, responsible

iceman559
07-03-2012, 10:37 AM
you know 5 mph is only slightly more than 1/2 the speed an electric wheelchair can go right? ...in my person experience there are a lot more near misses with those in the park than with cars in the parking garage

I agree. 5 MPH is WAY too slow. If you try driving 5 MPH in your car, you'll go nuts. And if you're talking about going slower? What? Idle speed? My car idles around 4-5 MPH on a flat surface. If you want me to drive slower, I'd actually have to ride my brakes without ever even hitting the gas pedal....


if a change needs to be made, IMO it should be with how people are directed in and out of the garage so they aren't walking in the same place people are driving...and it is no different than any other large parking lot and maybe responsible adults should be, well, responsible

I can agree somewhat, but I think the biggest change should be that parents need to be responsible. 14 MPH isn't really all that fast if you think about it. What's the speed limit in any other parking lot? Varies from city to city, but in my area, it's 15 MPH. Why should Disney be any different? As long as parents make sure their kids can't (and don't) dart out infront of traffic, it's not really a big deal IMO.

Now, as far as changing how people enter and exit so they aren't driving where people are walking, there's no way to avoid that. People have to get to their cars. What are we going to do, have a walking deck with ladders down to each spot? As far as the morning traffic, it's perfectly fine having them fill the lot in an order that minimizes this, but as far as leaving, it's practically impossible. The only other alternative to having two separate levels would be preventing everyone from pulling out of their spot until everyone is in their car. There's just no real way to allow people to leave when they want and prevent them from driving where somebody has to walk. The only real problem with Disney over any other parking lot is that there is a MUCH higher concentration of young children to adults, so the problem is more pronounced. But I see the same things leaving a Coyotes game that I do leaving Disneyland. Kids darting between traffic, parents oblivious.

And one last thing...just because the child flipped in the air doesn't mean the person was going faster than 14 MPH. A 3 year old is pretty light. No matter what type of car it was, it's got a LOT more mass. Also, a 3 year old is much lighter, so it takes less force to flip them in the air. Lastly, the OP said "she went up into the air", but didn't specify how high.

Heck, even a 6' tall adult would probably get lifted off their feet if they are hit by a car going 20-25 MPH. I wouldn't honestly be that surprised if a 3-year-old was lifted off their feet by a car going 10-15 MPH.

JunJunM3
07-03-2012, 02:23 PM
Both sides really need to be careful. Motorists and tourists. I've lost count how many times a kid just darted in front of me and I swear I was driving much MUCH slower than the 14mph limit already.

Angie2009
07-03-2012, 02:33 PM
both sides really need to be careful. Motorists and tourists. I've lost count how many times a kid just darted in front of me and i swear i was driving much much slower than the 14mph limit already.

this

SigalTchelet
07-03-2012, 09:21 PM
I agree. 5 MPH is WAY too slow. If you try driving 5 MPH in your car, you'll go nuts. And if you're talking about going slower? What? Idle speed? My car idles around 4-5 MPH on a flat surface. If you want me to drive slower, I'd actually have to ride my brakes without ever even hitting the gas pedal....



I can agree somewhat, but I think the biggest change should be that parents need to be responsible. 14 MPH isn't really all that fast if you think about it. What's the speed limit in any other parking lot? Varies from city to city, but in my area, it's 15 MPH. Why should Disney be any different? As long as parents make sure their kids can't (and don't) dart out infront of traffic, it's not really a big deal IMO.

Now, as far as changing how people enter and exit so they aren't driving where people are walking, there's no way to avoid that. People have to get to their cars. What are we going to do, have a walking deck with ladders down to each spot? As far as the morning traffic, it's perfectly fine having them fill the lot in an order that minimizes this, but as far as leaving, it's practically impossible. The only other alternative to having two separate levels would be preventing everyone from pulling out of their spot until everyone is in their car. There's just no real way to allow people to leave when they want and prevent them from driving where somebody has to walk. The only real problem with Disney over any other parking lot is that there is a MUCH higher concentration of young children to adults, so the problem is more pronounced. But I see the same things leaving a Coyotes game that I do leaving Disneyland. Kids darting between traffic, parents oblivious.

And one last thing...just because the child flipped in the air doesn't mean the person was going faster than 14 MPH. A 3 year old is pretty light. No matter what type of car it was, it's got a LOT more mass. Also, a 3 year old is much lighter, so it takes less force to flip them in the air. Lastly, the OP said "she went up into the air", but didn't specify how high.

Heck, even a 6' tall adult would probably get lifted off their feet if they are hit by a car going 20-25 MPH. I wouldn't honestly be that surprised if a 3-year-old was lifted off their feet by a car going 10-15 MPH.

I was hit by a car going 45-50 mph, (walking in a crosswalk). Witness said I flew 6 feet in the air and landed 10-15 feet outside the crosswalk. I can only imagine what would happen to a small child being hit by a car. She is definitely in my prayers!!

danyoung
07-05-2012, 07:41 PM
I think 14mph is too fast for a parking garage with small children about.

Well, there's no rule that says that I HAVE to go 14 mph at all times. It should still be my responsibility as a driver to go slower when there are folks walking, especially when a kid can dart out between cars. This may not have exactly been the driver's fault, but he or she certainly could have been driving more carefully with pedestrians around.

Drince88
07-06-2012, 06:43 AM
Exactly, Dan!

Toocherie
07-06-2012, 10:57 AM
I am VERY careful when I drive in areas where children may be. I have been known to stop in the middle of a drive aisle if I see a parent not paying attention to their child--for fear the child may suddenly dart in front of me. Usually the parent is distracted with another child or loading stuff in the car, etc. I make sure I catch the eye of the parent and they usually catch on and make the sure the child is well out of the way.

magicalmoments
07-07-2012, 12:03 AM
That is SO scary! I hope that little girl did not suffer any serious damage but yes, 14 mph is too fast to be going in a parking structure.
I'm sure a lawsuit will follow but I'm hoping that Disney sees this as a RED ALERT WARNING that if they don't alter their regulations, Anaheim PD could be forced to step in.

currence
07-07-2012, 05:18 PM
That is SO scary! I hope that little girl did not suffer any serious damage but yes, 14 mph is too fast to be going in a parking structure.
I'm sure a lawsuit will follow but I'm hoping that Disney sees this as a RED ALERT WARNING that if they don't alter their regulations, Anaheim PD could be forced to step in.

I have no idea what happened, I wasn't there. But it is ultimately the PARENT'S responsibility to ensure their child's safety in a parking structure. Unless the car veered into the pillars by the escalator - the only way to be hit by a car in that parking structure is to be in the parking lot. Parking lots are inherently dangerous locations. Even in school zones in CA, the speed limit is 25mph unless they are specially posted for 15mph. This limit is lower than school zones.

Also keep in mind that the driver is a human being who likely feels horrible about what happened. Even if they were not at all to blame (i.e. child darted in front of car) you can't help second-guessing what you could possibly do differently. My dad knew a guy who killed a pedestrian illegally crossing the freeway. He was not even cited for the accident but that didn't stop him from feeling horrible. I refuse to vilify a driver unless I know all of the facts.