Boy, 3, critically injured after run over by mower
Police believe father hit son accidentally
• A tragic accident that saw an Ontario man run over his three-yearold son with a lawn mower, leaving him in critical condition is all the more shocking because of how easily it can happen, police said Friday.
Const. Leslie Sardella of the Niagara Regional Police said investigators believe the incident was completely accidental and no charges are pending.
“It could have happened to anyone,” Sardella said. “Anyone who’s a parent knows that there are times that your child is around and you’re not aware of their presence. It’s a very, very unfortunate situation for this family.”
Sardella said the boy was injured about 9 p.m., when his father was cutting the lawn at the family home Thursday in the southern Ontario town.
The 32-year-old man apparently believed his son was safely inside the house, but unbeknownst to him the child had slipped outside and had begun following his dad around the property.
When he put the riding mower in reverse, Sardella said, he accidentally hit the child.
A neighbour who works as a paramedic in a nearby city rushed in to help stabilize the child until emergency responders could get there. The toddler was eventually rushed to hospital with injuries Sardella described as critical.
Police did not provide details on the nature of his injuries, and the boy’s name is not being released out of respect for the family’s request for privacy.
When lawn mowing accidents occur, data suggests children are the most likely victims.
The most recent figures from the Canada Safety Council, which draws on statistics from the Canadian hospitals injury reporting and prevention program, showed 1,161 people were injured by lawn mowers between 1990 and 2006, and nearly 50 per cent were children under the age of 15. The program collects data from the emergency rooms of the 10 pediatric hospitals throughout Canada and four general hospitals.