Hanson Police Hoping To Find Driver After Video Shows Child Falling From Moving Car
HANSON (CBS) – Police in Hanson are looking to identify the woman who was driving when a child fell out of a moving car Monday morning. The incident was captured by a nearby gas station's surveillance cameras.
Around 10 a.m. a midsize crossover SUV was pulling out of Hanson Town Hall from the boat ramp exit. When the vehicle turned onto Liberty Street, a small child opened the rear driver's side door and fell into the road.
After tumbling into the road, the child was quickly able to stand up and run back to the vehicle. The woman who was driving pulled over, ran toward the child and picked them up. The woman brought the child back to the vehicle, and they left a short time later.
Hanson Police believe the involved vehicle was a white Dodge Journey. They are asking for the public to help identify the child and driver.
"We want to ensure the safety and well-being of the child," Hanson Police Chief Michael Miksch said. "Thankfully it appears that the child may not have been seriously injured. But we want to make sure and we would like to speak with the driver...We want to find out why this happened or how it happened, was it an inadvertent they didn't have the child safety locks on the door? Was there a mechanical failure with the door? And also, why wasn't the child in a seat?"
Miksch used the incident as an opportunity to remind people to teach children about car seat safety, and how to teach children about when it's proper to open car doors. Police don't plan on charging the driver at this time.
The incident played out right in front of gas station attendant Arthur Kennedy. "When I looked up I saw the car in the middle of the street with the driver's door open and mom running to her son saying 'are you OK?'" he said.
Another man who also witnessed it, said, "He jumped right up and ran back to his mother."
No children have been brought to local emergency rooms for cuts and scraps.
