Boy run over by car identified
An 11-year-old boy who was run over Saturday when an underage relative put a car in the wrong gear has been identified.
Obaidullah Sailani, 11, was identified Monday by the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office. His death was the result of blunt force injuries, and the manner was ruled an accident, according to the examiner’s office.
San Antonio police said the accident occurred about 4 p.m. at a home in the 5700 block of Sunlit Brook on the Northeast Side.
The 11-year-old was standing in the driveway of his home when a family member, an older yet unlicensed juvenile, tried to drive the family’s Toyota Corolla, investigators said.
The teen had no experience driving and mistakenly placed the car in drive instead of reverse. The 11-yearold was struck after the teen stepped on the accelerator, police said.
Family members rushed the 11-year-old to University Hospital, where he later died.
Police said family members were cooperating with police during the investigation.
Obaidullah is the third child killed after being run over by a vehicle in Texas this month.
On March 17, a 1-year-old girl was run over by an Uber driver as she got out of his vehicle in a parking lot in Aldine. On Thursday, a 1year-old boy was struck and killed while playing in the parking lot of an apartment complex in Texarkana.
Advocates from Kids and Car Safety put out a call Monday for specific safety standards to be built into vehicles, including 360-degree cameras and pedestrian automatic emergency braking, which uses cameras to detect a pedestrian and alert the driver. The emergency braking system can even apply the brakes if it detects a potential collision.
Kids and Car Safety also provided several safety tips, stating that children should be directly and actively supervised anytime a vehicle is being moved at the home and 100% of the time near parking lots.
People should always carry toddlers or seat them in strollers or shopping carts in parking lots or near vehicles. It also recommends installing door knob covers on all outside doors of the home, paired with stick-on door alarms to know if a door is opened.