Here’s a heartwarming story: a Westland, Michigan police officer purchased a car seat for a struggling young father who was pulled over for a window tint violation. LeVonte Dell of Inkster was driving with his young daughter when he saw the flashing lights in his rear view mirror. “My heart dropped in my stomach. I thought I was going to get hammered with tickets, more stress, more bills,” Dell told Fox 2.
While walking up to Dell’s vehicle, Westland police officer Joshua Scaglione noticed that Dell’s daughter was riding along without a proper car seat. “I asked him, ‘Why do you have your kids in the back without a car seat?’ and he’s like, ‘I can’t afford it,” Scaglione said. "So I took him out of the car, separated him from his family and asked him what’s going on. He’s like, ‘Bills are building up, overtaking my income, and I can’t afford a car seat right now.”
Offering to help, Scaglione had Dell follow him to the local Walmart and bought the troubled father a new car seat. Dell wanted Scaglione to be properly recognized for his charity and selflessness, but Scaglione had left before Dell could get his name or even thank him for helping him out. Dell went on Facebook after returning home from Walmart to give thanks to the anonymous police officer. Luckily, the Westland Police Department had heard about the kind act and gave Dell the opportunity to see Scaglione again and offer his deep appreciation.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, properly used car seats can reduce the risk of deaths of infants by 71%, and booster seats can reduce the risk for serious injury by 45%, for children ages 4-8, when compared to simply using a seat belt. While it may take extra time to get a baby or child properly strapped into a proper fitting car seat, it can be well worth the time, as it may just save a child’s life.
Being involved in a car accident can be scary enough, but having your child in the car during an accident can be a parent's worst nightmare. If you or somebody you know has been involved in a motor vehicle accident with a child in the vehicle, call The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC. We understand that it is difficult and expensive to identify injuries and get treatment for children's injuries. Let our experienced legal staff help you identify benefits for you and your injured children, so that your family can focus on recovering. Please call us, at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free consultation.