A 1-year-old boy died Thursday evening after falling from a moving vehicle in Colton, turning an ordinary weeknight drive into a tragedy that has stunned a neighborhood. The incident was reported just before 9 p.m. near South Mount Vernon Avenue and Centerpointe Drive, and first responders rushed the child to a nearby hospital where he later died, according to the Colton Police Department. The department’s Major Accident Investigation Team and detective division have launched an active investigation to sort out exactly what happened.
As reported by ABC7 Los Angeles, officers said the child had fallen from a moving vehicle at the scene. The station wrote that police identified the child as a 1-year-old boy and confirmed he was taken to a local hospital, where he later died. ABC7 Los Angeles also relayed that investigators asked anyone with information to come forward.
Police investigating, seeking witnesses
Per the Colton Police Department, the Major Accident Investigation Team and detective division are handling the probe and will work to reconstruct the scene. Investigators have asked people with video or eyewitness information to contact Corporal Jonathan Villalobos at (909) 370-5000 or [email protected]. Officials have not released further details about how the child came to fall from the vehicle, leaving many of the most pressing questions still unanswered.
Child passenger safety and similar incidents
California law requires young children to be secured in appropriate restraints. Children under 2 must ride rear-facing unless they weigh 40 pounds or are 40 inches tall, and children under 8 must be properly buckled in a child seat or booster, according to the California Department of Public Health. Earlier this year a viral video in Fullerton showed a toddler tumbling from a moving SUV and resulted in the arrest of the vehicle's driver, illustrating how investigators sometimes pursue criminal charges when evidence indicates possible negligence, the Los Angeles Times reported. Safety advocates say properly installed car seats, locked doors and constant adult supervision remain critical preventives in situations like these.
How to help
Police have not announced any charges in the Colton case and say the investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information or video is asked to contact investigators. ABC7 Los Angeles relayed the contact details listed by police. Colton officials have not released the child's name.
