achiro
1/25/2006, 03:50 PM
This is tough to read about but something everyone with small kids in their life should know. This is a friend of mine's niece that was killed in CO. I had never heard of this happening before.
I have been asked by several via PM what actually happened to Sarah. Below is a snippet from a letter sent out by the parents:
We ask that you help us to educate families, parents and grandparents about the risks involved with these types of window switches so that hopefully the lives of other children will be saved. Following is the newspaper article regarding Sarah’s accident and it details the problem quite well. Please forward the article to anyone and everyone.
Also, if you are willing to take the time, go to the “Kids and Cars” website (http://www.kidsandcars.org/). Go to the bottom of the home page and click the link to “Incidents involving power windows.” Then click the first link “News and Studies about the Dangers of Power Windows on Vehicles.” This takes you to the Safe Power Window Campaign page where you can send a pre-written message to the Detroit based automobile manufacturers that change needs to be instituted in order to save lives.
January 08, 2006
Activists say fix could end deaths by car windows
By R. SCOTT RAPPOLD - THE GAZETTE
Three minutes.
That’s how long 3-year-old Sarah Gaerlan was left in the car with her two older halfbrothers. It was New Year’s Eve and they were on their way to a birthday party for one of the boys.
Her father, Wayne Gaerlan, just had to run inside to grab the presents.
But it was enough time for Sarah, with typical 3-year-old exuberance, to wiggle her head out the station wagon’s window.
Colorado Springs police say she must have pressed on the window’s power switch, forcing the glass against her throat, choking the life from her. It probably took less than 30 seconds.
Sarah died Wednesday when she was removed from life support. She’d been in a coma since Saturday, with no brain activity.
Police investigators call it a tragic accident. No criminal charges will be filed.
Car-safety advocates say such incidents, though rare, are caused by a major design flaw in many American cars, one they say has led to the deaths of 38 children — most of them 3 years old or younger — since 1990.
Janette Fennell of Leawood, Kan., founder of the child safety awareness organization Kids and Cars, has been fighting for years to get car makers to replace the so-called “rocker switch” on cars, which allows a window to be activated with downward pressure.
The Gaerlans’ 1992 Mercury Sable station wagon had that type of switch, and Fennell said the switch design is a factor in nearly every case of death or injury in a power window.
In 2005, Fennell’s group persuaded Congress to mandate a safer power switch that will require a pulling motion to activate it. It will probably affect all new cars in the next few years, Fennell said.
Colorado Springs police detective Rebecca Arndt said it’s unclear how Sarah pressed the window switch. But, she said, “If you had that pull-up switch, this wouldn’t have happened.”
Officials stressed that Sarah’s family is not responsible for her death.
When he went inside the house, her father left another adult in the car with the kids. The other adult later went inside. When Sarah’s father found her, he performed CPR until paramedics arrived.
The car had window locks, which were not activated, and the back-seat windows only go down halfway. The other two children were in a rear-facing seat and didn’t know Sarah was choking.
Police and the 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office determined the family is not to blame.
“They are really responsible parents, really involved with their kids. It’s just really tragic,” said Arndt, the detective.
Fennell said there were eight power-window deaths in 2004 and two in 2005. The numbers are based on her monitoring of news accounts, because no federal agency tracks such deaths.
Despite last year’s victory, she is now waging another struggle with the auto industry over power windows.
In October, with Fennell’s support, U.S. Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., and John Sununu, R-N.H., sponsored a bill in Congress that would require new American cars be equipped with “auto-reverse,” sensors that make windows stop closing when they meet resistance.
Also known as “pinch protection,” it’s a standard feature on cars in Europe, Fennell said.
“The real answer to make these deaths go away is to have that auto-reverse function,” Fennell said. “It’s something we feel all vehicles should have.”
She said the cost would be $8 to $10 per window.
Eron Shosteck, spokesman for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, said the industry has voluntarily adopted the new pull-switch, which is now standard on many new vehicles.
The industry is opposed to mandatory auto-reverse, he said, because it is now optional on many makes and models.
“Consumers should decide what options they want and not be forced to buy these other options,” Shosteck said.
The industry prefers educating car owners and parents on the dangers of leaving children unattended.
“Children need to be supervised. They should never be left alone in a vehicle,” Shosteck said.
Since the accident, Sarah’s family has grieved privately, declining interview requests.
Gaerlan family friend Berry Huffman said they never thought their car window could pose such a hazard. They want other parents to be aware of the danger.
“It sure would seem like auto manufacturers could come up with a more sensitive window,” said Huffman, who is speaking for the family.
“It’d be great if Congress and auto manufacturers would do that and not wait for another tragedy to happen,” Huffman said.
When they decided to remove Sarah’s life support Wednesday night, they had been told she was brain dead with no chance of recovering.
There was one, albeit small, bright spot. They were able to line up a transplant recipient for her liver.
“There’s another child out there somewhere who may have a chance at an extended life because of Sarah,” Huffman said.
CONTACT THE WRITER: 476-1605 or
[email protected]
Lastly I'd like to share a couple of pictures that I enjoy and make you want to reach out and give her a hug!
This one was taken Christmas Eve. Grandpa asked to take her picture and she posed perfectly. Maybe she would of been a super model instead of a dog trainer?
http://home.earthlink.net/~lkshinsato/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/sarah_christmas.jpg
This on was taken after the Christmas pagent. She wanted to be in the pagent at first but her shy nature caused her to decline, however she wanted so much to wear the fluffy wings and halo. Her older twin sisters were happy to share! At the service Father Brad really hit the nail on the head, Sarah just upgraded her feather wings for the real deal!
http://home.earthlink.net/~lkshinsato/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/sarah_angel.jpg
Thanks once again for listening and letting me share, it does help in the healing process. Sarah will be greatly missed.
I have been asked by several via PM what actually happened to Sarah. Below is a snippet from a letter sent out by the parents:
We ask that you help us to educate families, parents and grandparents about the risks involved with these types of window switches so that hopefully the lives of other children will be saved. Following is the newspaper article regarding Sarah’s accident and it details the problem quite well. Please forward the article to anyone and everyone.
Also, if you are willing to take the time, go to the “Kids and Cars” website (http://www.kidsandcars.org/). Go to the bottom of the home page and click the link to “Incidents involving power windows.” Then click the first link “News and Studies about the Dangers of Power Windows on Vehicles.” This takes you to the Safe Power Window Campaign page where you can send a pre-written message to the Detroit based automobile manufacturers that change needs to be instituted in order to save lives.
January 08, 2006
Activists say fix could end deaths by car windows
By R. SCOTT RAPPOLD - THE GAZETTE
Three minutes.
That’s how long 3-year-old Sarah Gaerlan was left in the car with her two older halfbrothers. It was New Year’s Eve and they were on their way to a birthday party for one of the boys.
Her father, Wayne Gaerlan, just had to run inside to grab the presents.
But it was enough time for Sarah, with typical 3-year-old exuberance, to wiggle her head out the station wagon’s window.
Colorado Springs police say she must have pressed on the window’s power switch, forcing the glass against her throat, choking the life from her. It probably took less than 30 seconds.
Sarah died Wednesday when she was removed from life support. She’d been in a coma since Saturday, with no brain activity.
Police investigators call it a tragic accident. No criminal charges will be filed.
Car-safety advocates say such incidents, though rare, are caused by a major design flaw in many American cars, one they say has led to the deaths of 38 children — most of them 3 years old or younger — since 1990.
Janette Fennell of Leawood, Kan., founder of the child safety awareness organization Kids and Cars, has been fighting for years to get car makers to replace the so-called “rocker switch” on cars, which allows a window to be activated with downward pressure.
The Gaerlans’ 1992 Mercury Sable station wagon had that type of switch, and Fennell said the switch design is a factor in nearly every case of death or injury in a power window.
In 2005, Fennell’s group persuaded Congress to mandate a safer power switch that will require a pulling motion to activate it. It will probably affect all new cars in the next few years, Fennell said.
Colorado Springs police detective Rebecca Arndt said it’s unclear how Sarah pressed the window switch. But, she said, “If you had that pull-up switch, this wouldn’t have happened.”
Officials stressed that Sarah’s family is not responsible for her death.
When he went inside the house, her father left another adult in the car with the kids. The other adult later went inside. When Sarah’s father found her, he performed CPR until paramedics arrived.
The car had window locks, which were not activated, and the back-seat windows only go down halfway. The other two children were in a rear-facing seat and didn’t know Sarah was choking.
Police and the 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office determined the family is not to blame.
“They are really responsible parents, really involved with their kids. It’s just really tragic,” said Arndt, the detective.
Fennell said there were eight power-window deaths in 2004 and two in 2005. The numbers are based on her monitoring of news accounts, because no federal agency tracks such deaths.
Despite last year’s victory, she is now waging another struggle with the auto industry over power windows.
In October, with Fennell’s support, U.S. Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., and John Sununu, R-N.H., sponsored a bill in Congress that would require new American cars be equipped with “auto-reverse,” sensors that make windows stop closing when they meet resistance.
Also known as “pinch protection,” it’s a standard feature on cars in Europe, Fennell said.
“The real answer to make these deaths go away is to have that auto-reverse function,” Fennell said. “It’s something we feel all vehicles should have.”
She said the cost would be $8 to $10 per window.
Eron Shosteck, spokesman for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, said the industry has voluntarily adopted the new pull-switch, which is now standard on many new vehicles.
The industry is opposed to mandatory auto-reverse, he said, because it is now optional on many makes and models.
“Consumers should decide what options they want and not be forced to buy these other options,” Shosteck said.
The industry prefers educating car owners and parents on the dangers of leaving children unattended.
“Children need to be supervised. They should never be left alone in a vehicle,” Shosteck said.
Since the accident, Sarah’s family has grieved privately, declining interview requests.
Gaerlan family friend Berry Huffman said they never thought their car window could pose such a hazard. They want other parents to be aware of the danger.
“It sure would seem like auto manufacturers could come up with a more sensitive window,” said Huffman, who is speaking for the family.
“It’d be great if Congress and auto manufacturers would do that and not wait for another tragedy to happen,” Huffman said.
When they decided to remove Sarah’s life support Wednesday night, they had been told she was brain dead with no chance of recovering.
There was one, albeit small, bright spot. They were able to line up a transplant recipient for her liver.
“There’s another child out there somewhere who may have a chance at an extended life because of Sarah,” Huffman said.
CONTACT THE WRITER: 476-1605 or
[email protected]
Lastly I'd like to share a couple of pictures that I enjoy and make you want to reach out and give her a hug!
This one was taken Christmas Eve. Grandpa asked to take her picture and she posed perfectly. Maybe she would of been a super model instead of a dog trainer?
http://home.earthlink.net/~lkshinsato/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/sarah_christmas.jpg
This on was taken after the Christmas pagent. She wanted to be in the pagent at first but her shy nature caused her to decline, however she wanted so much to wear the fluffy wings and halo. Her older twin sisters were happy to share! At the service Father Brad really hit the nail on the head, Sarah just upgraded her feather wings for the real deal!
http://home.earthlink.net/~lkshinsato/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/sarah_angel.jpg
Thanks once again for listening and letting me share, it does help in the healing process. Sarah will be greatly missed.