A quiet late morning on a Long Beach stairway turned deadly Monday when a driver reversing a vehicle hit three people sitting outside a building, killing a toddler and injuring two others, according to police.
The crash happened in the 400 block of Maine Avenue at about 11:27 a.m. on March 2, Long Beach police said. A woman, a girl, and a female toddler were seated on the building's stairs when the vehicle backed into them. The child was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she died, and the two other victims were hospitalized in stable condition, as reported by CBS News Los Angeles.
Backover danger for very young children
Backover incidents, when a vehicle moves in reverse and hits someone behind it, are especially dangerous for very young children who may be too small to see from the driver's seat, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. The organization notes that many non-traffic backover events occur in driveways and parking areas and advises drivers to walk completely around parked vehicles before reversing and to keep toddlers away from cars in high-traffic housing areas (American Academy of Pediatrics).
Investigation and legal questions
Collision Investigation detectives with the Long Beach Police Department are handling the case and are still working to determine what led up to the crash. Officials have not released further information about the driver or the circumstances of the collision, and it remains unclear whether any criminal charges will be filed, according to CBS News Los Angeles.
Detectives are expected to review witness statements, any available surveillance video, and other evidence as they reconstruct the incident. We will update this post as the Long Beach Police Department releases additional details.
