Autistic boy dies after being hit by car
The Autism News | English
A motorcyclist drives through the area of 41st Street and Yale Avenue, where a 5-year-old boy was struck by a sport utility vehicle Friday afternoon. The boy died Monday from injuries. MATT BARNARD/Tulsa World
By MATT BARNARD | Tulsa World
An autistic boy who was injured when he wandered away from home and was hit by a sport utility vehicle died Monday, police said.
The 5-year-old, whose name was not released, was running across Yale Avenue near 41st Street when the vehicle crashed into him Friday afternoon, Tulsa Police Cpl. Kim York said.
The boy’s parents had noticed that he was missing about 20 minutes before the accident and were canvassing the area with a group of neighbors, police said. Meanwhile, the child was darting through traffic in a busy shopping district.
Motorists stopped and tried to get the child to move to the sidewalk, but he walked into traffic again and was struck just before 4:45 p.m. Medics took him to St. Francis Hospital in critical condition, and he died Monday morning, York said.
The boy had Asperger’s syndrome, a high-functioning autism disorder, and wore a medical bracelet that indicated his condition. There was no sign that his parents were at fault in his death, York said.
“There was no indication that he was left alone or neglected,” she said. “I feel for the parents. It has got to be one of the most difficult situations.”
Source: http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20090706_298_0_Anauti8557&allcom=1
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April Miner at 12:41am July 7
this terrifies me.. my 4 year old son with Autism thinks he can stop cars
Shannon Primer at 12:42am July 7
This is one of my biggest fears. I am on my teenagers day and night to lock the doors even if only coming in our out of something for a second.
Jennifer Graham Hampton at 12:43am July 7
My 8 year old still has issues remembering to look when crossing the street yet hates to hold my hand or even walk too close to me like the little kids. So sad.
Janice Adamson at 12:47am July 7
My biggest fear… seriously considering moving to the country. A few of my children with ASD’s have managed to cross major intersections, and blindly run into traffic. One of my others was hit by a car, thankfully had only minor injuries.
Tricia Kenney at 12:48am July 7
How heartbreaking. This is the worst fear for so many of us. I thank God my kids are ok and never got hit by any cars during the times when they ran out like that. My prayers are with that family…so devestating.
Angela Utley at 12:50am July 7
I live in Tulsa where this happened. It is so upseting. I know the family. Please pray for them.
Autistic Living at 12:52am July 7
I’d rather the neighbors think I’m nuts with a live son than feel sorry for me with a dead one.
People look at me like I’m crazy when I let out a yell that cracks windows saying “HEY, GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE NOW!” whenever he sets foot off the sidewalk. We’ll save the positive reinforcement stuff for something else
April Miner at 12:57am July 7
AL.. I know exaclty how you feel!! My neighbours don’t understand! My 3 yr old without ASD understands that she cannot be near the road.. but my 4 yr old son with ASD does not understand at all!! I scream at the top of my lungs for him to get away from the road! I live in a townhouse complex which is on a corner.. he runs for one road or the other… Read More
Tracy Hilt Cardile at 12:58am July 7
my biggest fear too for my 2 boys with autism
Jennifer Sullivan at 12:59am July 7
So sad, and one of my biggest fears. Heartbreaking. The autistic boy that got hit by a train a few weeks ago was 1 minute away from my work.
Tricia Kenney at 1:00am July 7
I haven’t had to hold my son’s hand to get to the car in a long time, he’s been so good about getting in on his own and not running off, but a rabbit ran across the road and he darted after it without any regard for where he was. Lucky that we live on a quiet street. It only takes a split second and something horrible could happen. We just have to hold on to our kids.
April Miner at 1:01am July 7
I think I may be known as the crazy lady who yells for one of her kids to “STAY IN THE YARD!” while she cases after the other one! Stories like this are heart-wrenching, because there are aspects of safety that are simply not there with children with ASD (at least in my case.. it may be different for other parents)…
This is so upsetting to me…my own 5 year old son is autistic, as many of you know, and I fear this happening to him all the time. I live under constant lockdown in my home, as Caden, too, has proven to be as we in the autism community refer to as a “flight risk”. What angers me about this article is it says that people “tried to move the boy to the sidewalk and out of traffic” (my rephrasing)… but THEN what? Did they just get back in their cars and keep on going? Someone SHOULD have taken this little boy to the nearest police department instead of just deciding that it “wasn’t their problem”. It saddens me that my son is growing up in such a world where a community wouldn’t see this little boy (as many of them DID), and yet NO one took responsibility for him. This is tragic because it could have been prevented. Would YOU look the other way because you are so busy trying to get where you are going each day? What if it were MY little boy?
Kika Backman at 1:46am July 7
Breaks my heart
Mary Mills-Gertken at 1:48am July 7
What a nightmare! My heart goes out to the parents of the little boy.
Donna Millard Was Parry at 2:21am July 7
My son got out once and was found wondering down a main street , other time just missed being hit by a bike . He has no awareness . God bles this family in their time of need.
Joy Lansdale Hudson at 3:53am July 7
my daughter is MUCH better now about being more aware of her surroundings…but she got out of my car to see her dad-o & she walked right into highway 231 in gasoline alley in Lacey’s Spring & luckily her dad was quick & ran to grab her out of the very busy road right before a bunch of cars flew by…probably one of the biggest scares…she has given me… it went by quickly though…unlike the time she got out of her stroller before she was diagnosed with Autism–at the zoo in Birmingham while we were watching the monkeys…i looked down to see her reaction & my lil monkey was gone! disappeared FAST! if a lady wouldn’t have asked me if I was looking for a lil girl with glasses, I wouldn’t have known which way to run to find her! when i finally found her~which seemed like forever~she was sitting on a fork-lift happy as a lark!
Dawn Hewitt- Soto at 6:56am July 7
This is terrible and one of my worse fears too. My daughter will just run aross the road without thinking. I can’t imagine how those parents are feeling right now. I am so sorry for their loss
Kimberly Jackson Agostino at 7:00am July 7
I think a majority of autistic toddlers/kids have no fear of streets/cars. I go crazy with worry everytime we go out for walks, etc. And add to it everyone driving is on cell phones, texting and generally not paying attention….
Nancy Hance Sierchio at 8:04am July 7
I asked my town to post a sign like they do for blind children “Slow Blind Child” but there is no such sign! We need to make one happen!
Heather Rae Conley at 8:25am July 7
I KNOW! we do need to make something happen! i thought about calling city hall to see if someone can come put up a “slow children playing” sign up at my house or if they can at least guide me in the right direction of someone who can!
Hopeezinetoday Autismmom at 9:19am July 7
I hate taking the bus because I worry. If its a bad day he could easily run out into road. If you have Medicaid you can talk to the doctor about non emergency transport
Don’t even get me started on speeders. There have been several serious accidents from speeders right in the school cross wallk. I think that if you have a disabled child you might … Read More
Sarah Card Collett at 9:20am July 7
I saw your comment about the sign. I know someone in Canada who fought and got “Child with Autism Playing” sign outside of her house.
Tracy Jensen at 10:16am July 7
My son used to wait for cars and jump in front of them when he was 3-4 yrs old, thankfully it was in the driveway of our townhouse complex and not the street so the drivers were driving slow but still! I ended up triple locking the door so he couldn’t get out and he still found ways to get out. So terribly sad
Cartaginese Christy at 12:12pm July 7
This is a big problem. It makes it very scary to send them to regular school where everyone may not be aware of the danger of a runner. One second they are standing there, the next they bolt. I have often joked to my sister about making my nephew where a shirt that says “I run, please look out for me.” on his back. Your heart will stop when you hear the screech of a tire and the child gone from your side.
Lori Cain at 3:09pm July 7
this works sometimes…. put a favvy toy in the road… u and them on sidewalk watching… and a car runs over the toy.
They care about the toy if it is a favvy… so it matters more and thru into the brain