A 20-month-old male toddler suffered critical injuries after falling two stories and striking a vehicle below.
King County Fire District 20, King County Medic One and King County Sheriff’s Office responded just after 6:10 p.m. Tuesday in the 6800 block of South 133rd Street inside the Cambridge Park Apartments in Skyway.
“When firefighters arrived they found the toddler conscious with multiple injuries. According to a neighbor who saw the incident, the toddler was playing near the window and suddenly the screen popped out and the toddler too,” said Dave Nelson, District 20 spokesperson. “Had the vehicle not been below the apartment unit, the toddler would have suffered additional injuries or possible death.”
Family was home at the time of the incident and has been ruled an accident by the Sheriffs Office. The toddler was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle by King County Medic One.
Unintentional falls are the leading cause of non-fatal injuries for children in the United States. In 2010, unintentional falls resulted in nearly 3 million injuries requiring treatment in an emergency room. These injuries resulted from activities such as climbing on furniture, playing near an unsecured window, falling down stairs or playing on playgrounds.
Screens are meant to keep bugs out, not children in. Properly install window guards to prevent unintentional window falls. For windows above the first floor, include an emergency release device in case of fire.
Earlier this summer a 2-year-old girl fell from a window in Renton.
