Most parking lots in Hawaii are busy places, with all types of motor vehicles and pedestrians coming and going at the same time. Parents typically do their best to keep their children safe when navigating these areas. Still, car accidents sometimes occur, and they can be especially tragic when an innocent child is injured or killed as a result.
At approximately 7:55 p.m. on a recent Saturday night in Kailua-Kona, a devastating parking lot incident occurred. Apparently, the driver of a sports utility vehicle was attempting to back into a vacant spot. As is common for drivers in such circumstances, the 38-year-old behind the wheel at the time is said to have pulled the vehicle forward before completing his parking maneuver in reverse.
A 1-year-old boy was reportedly standing in front of the man’s vehicle at the time. The boy suffered critical injuries when the man’s vehicle allegedly struck him as the driver pulled forward. Sadly, after being transported to an area hospital for emergency care, the child was pronounced dead.
One cannot adequately describe the grief a parent experiences when his or her child suffers an untimely death due to another person’s negligence. In Hawaii, car accidents caused by the negligent actions of drivers typically result in claims for financial damages on behalf of those injured or killed. In cases where children lose their lives in such incidents, the surviving family members retain the right to file wrongful death claims in civil court. Once liability is established by appropriate evidence, the court will adjudicate claims for specific items of monetary damages.
Source: hawaiinewsnow.com, “Car crash kills 1-year-old boy on Big Island“, Oct. 12, 2015