Editorial

Toddler's survival illustrates car seats' vital importance

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

You've probably heard the story.

Eighteen-month old Lily was rescued 14 hours after a crash that killed her mother and left her hanging upside down in her car seat in a car partially submerged in Utah's Spanish Fork River.

Several rescuers reported hearing an adult voice saying "help me" coming from the car, discovered by a fisherman that Saturday morning.

That's a mystery, because her mother, Lynn Jennifer Groesbeck, 25, died in the crash, and the rescuers definitely reported an adult voice.

That puzzle may never be solved.

What isn't a mystery is the fact that Lily is alive and recovering because her mother loved her enough to strap her into her car seat.

Safe Kids Platte Valley and Community Hospital are joining forces to help make sure Southwest Nebraska kids are as safe as possible with a "Buckle Up Baby!" car seat event from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the McCook Municipal Center, 505 West C in McCook, the McCook fire station.

Certified car seat technicians will conduct the event to make sure each child is riding in as safe as possible a car seat.

If the seat has passed its expiration date or doesn't meet National Highway Traffic Safety administration safety standards, replacement seats will be available for purchase. Any funds collected from the event will be used by the Community Hospital Health Foundation for purchase of new seats at future events.

Motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death among children ages 1 to 10. Properly used child safety seats can reduce the risk of death by as much as 71 percent, but Safe Kids reports that 73 percent of car seats are critically misused.

The number one goal of Saturday's event is to make sure that every child leaves safer than he or she arrives, according to organizers.

They do that by educating parents or guardians on how to correctly install the child's car seat and having car seats available to sell if their car seat is expired or recalled.

Call (308) 344-8525 to make an appointment to guarantee a time slot or for more information.

Appointments last about 30 minutes each and are highly encouraged but not mandatory; walk-ins are welcome.

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