Toddler Dies...Front End Loader Ride

[jimmyj]

I read the title of the post and thought "no no no no no not again". Then I read the post and thought, what a terrible, avoidable disaster. SAD

 

[merrickvilleguy]

There is no excuse for this ... as cute as it is to have young children (a 6 year old) driving tractors/backhoes etc ... they aren't capable of doing it safely ... and while we all rode in a bucket in our youth, like riding in the bed of a pickup on the highway or not wearing seatbelts, we know better now

 

[Mace Canute]

Here's another one that makes me cringe! What goes through some peoples minds? The positive comments that the viewers make are alarming to say the least. I can only believe they are at the shallow (very shallow) end of the gene pool. Apparently it's an old vid from December 31, 2006 but I never saw it before.

YouTube - 3 year old operates mini excavator

 

[Duffster]

Here's another one that makes me cringe! What goes through some peoples minds? The positive comments that the viewers make are alarming to say the least. I can only believe they are at the shallow (very shallow) end of the gene pool. Apparently it's an old vid from December 31, 2006 but I never saw it before.

YouTube - 3 year old operates mini excavator

I love that video.

Have you ever operated a mini ex before?

That is in no way even similar to what happened in the OP.

 

[jonyyuma]

Very Sad. Why allow a child to operate machinery with another child riding. We had one run over his brother with a riding lawnmower.Brother was riding on the hood, and "Said bet you can't throw me off". Both were Teenagers? he lived but with a leg chopped up to remind him for the rest of his life.Jy

 

[jml755]

Sad, but it's misleading to call this a "farm" accident. There was no "farm" activity involved. The other thing about this is that it could have happened even if an adult was driving: hit a bump, toddler falls out and is hit by loader. Probably happened so fast, didn't matter what the driver's age was.

How many times have you operated machinery when something unexpected happens, takes you by surprise and it takes a second or so to react? Lot of damage can be done in that "second or so".

Just last week a 3 yrd old in Michigan was killed while riding in the ENCLOSED CAB of a combine his dad was operating. Kid leaned on the glass, it broke and he fell out. I'll bet if you asked 100 people they'd all say that the kid was in a safe place. Heck, I would have.

Not trying to say we should walk around in bubble wrap, there's risk in everyday life. But no sense in tempting fate by letting kids ride down the road in a loader bucket. Condolences to the families involved.