(Madera, California) – A local mother has expressed her thanks to Valley Children’s car seat education program after a recent harrowing collision.
On Saturday, March 23, on her way home after shopping for party supplies in Fresno, Jessica lost control of her vehicle near the intersection of Avenue 15 ½ and Tozer Road in Madera. As she attempted to avoid hitting another vehicle head-on, Jessica’s vehicle left the road, rolled over and ended up on its roof. Jessica and her two children were inside the vehicle when the collision happened.
Two years earlier, Jessica had met with Trauma Nurse Liaison, Safe Kids Central California Coordinator and Child Passenger Safety Technician Instructor Kristina Pasma, for education on proper car seat use and installation. Jessica had recently purchased a new car seat for her three-year-old daughter but had some concerns about that specific seat since her daughter would often get out of the harness as they were driving down the road. On the morning of the accident, Jessica states something “just told her” to replace the new car seat with the one she was educated on two years earlier because she felt she was able to get a tighter fit with the harness. Jessica had learned the importance of a tight harness and that it helps to spread out the crash forces, which help to avoid injury.
Jessica had also made the decision to clean out her car that morning because she had learned from Kristina that anything that is loose within the vehicle can dislodge and injure anyone within the vehicle in a crash. Jessica had no idea that these decisions might possibly have saved her daughter’s life or prevented serious injury for the rest of the vehicle’s occupants.
Fortunately, no one was injured in the crash. Jessica credits the fact that she received this important education with keeping both of her children safe from injury or death. After the crash, both children received new car seats and the original seats were happily disposed of, as they had fulfilled their mission.
Within Central California, there are many agencies who provide child passenger safety (car seat) education for free, including Valley Children’s Hospital. To schedule a free appointment with a nationally certified child passenger safety technician, please call 559-353-5528.