SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A 2-year-old boy was taken to the hospital after falling out of a moving car and onto a busy intersection in South Sacramento.
The incident happened on Sunday, just before 4:30 p.m.
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) South Sacramento says the boy's mother placed him in the backseat of her car without a car seat. Instead, the woman used a regular seatbelt to secure the boy. While making a left turn from Mack Road onto Stockton Boulevard the woman noticed the back passenger door open and horns from other cars honking at her. She stopped her car and found her 2-year-old son lying in the middle of the intersection.
A CHP officer happened to be nearby and helped stop traffic and call for an ambulance for the child.
The child was not struck by any vehicle and had no obvious injuries. He was taken to UC Davis Medical Center as a precaution.
CHP described the incident as "totally preventable" and will recommend charges of child endangerment to the Sacramento County Attorney's Office.
"As a reminder to everyone, it is California state law that all children SHALL be properly restrained in a child safety seat, booster seat, or other restraint system in the back seat until child is eight years old OR 4’9” in height," said CHP South Sacramento in a Facebook post on Wednesday. "California law also states that children under two years of age SHALL ride rear-facing."
