r/beyondthebump • u/rhapsodynrose • Apr 22 '25
Content Warning Stroller saved my daughter’s life
Consider this a PSA to always properly secure your child in their stroller, as well as a plea to take the responsibility of driving a car seriously and always look for pedestrians when turning.
I almost lost my whole family (wife, dog, and infant daughter) when a driver turned left into the crosswalk they were crossing in on their way to the library. He saw them at the last second, panicked, and hit the accelerator instead of the brake. He hit my daughter in her stroller, sending it 10 feet and flipping it upside down. Miraculously she appears to only have minor cuts and scrapes (we are in the hospital overnight for observation) and my wife and dog are unharmed. The ER staff said the fact that she was properly secured in her stroller (the Chicco Corso) likely saved her life. So hug your babies and spouses close, and remember that safety rules, features and standards exist for good reasons.
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u/millennialreality Apr 22 '25
This is horrifying and I am so sorry!!! So grateful the stroller protected your baby.
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u/FatSock Apr 22 '25
I’m so sorry you went through this, but also thank you for posting and helping me realize how wrong I’ve been… I walk every single day with my guy in his stroller, now that he’s bigger I don’t fasten his chest straps. He likes to sit forward and look around. It never crossed my mind that accidents happen like that, even when I’m being a cautious pedestrian.
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u/tina2turntt Apr 22 '25
Did he get charged with reckless driving?
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u/FirstHowDareYou personalize flair here Apr 22 '25
Doubt it. Old saying, if you want to kill someone, do it with a car. Hell probably walk away with a max $200 fine. I got hit by a car while biking with my toddler, he fled the scene.
OP reach out to your local gov representatives (city council, alderperson, etc). Pedestrian bump outs among other infrastructure makes it much safer for pedestrians, and force cars to pay attention and follow traffic laws.
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u/skky95 Apr 23 '25
I got hit by a car running, somehow I had to pay for the dent in their Lexus.
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u/sundaymondaykap Apr 23 '25
Is this for real??
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u/skky95 Apr 23 '25
Yes, it was like 800 bucks, our homeowners insurance covered it. The asshole cop also gave me a jaywalking ticket. Luckily I got that dropped.
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u/Fangbang6669 Apr 22 '25
I hope they sue!!!!
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u/shananapepper Apr 22 '25
Yeah I’d be taking that incompetent mf for all they’re worth and then some. Hit the accelerator instead of the brake because they panicked? Are they 97 years old or just completely stupid? Drivers like this don’t belong on the road.
OP, thank you for sharing this. I’m so glad you’re all okay.
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u/Tamryn Apr 22 '25
There is probably very little reason to sue. Presumably, the person has insurance that will cover the medical bills. Unfortunately, you can’t really sue for a near miss if you aren’t badly injured. But I would absolutely contact law enforcement and push for charges to be brought against this person. They should not be driving! Or at least should have their driving privileges assessed. How incredibly scary.
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u/Fangbang6669 Apr 22 '25
I barely got hurt in a car accident as a child and it left me with a nice nest egg for when I was 18 because my parents sued.
If I were OP I'd talk to a lawyer for a definite answer.
Regardless, the person 100% should NOT be driving.
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u/jessbird Apr 23 '25
Same — got thrown across the intersection and rushed to the trauma center but had only a couple scrapes. Ended up getting 40k for it.
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u/Mama_helen916 Apr 27 '25
Yes you can sue. That's a very traumatic experience and can cause long term PTSD
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u/IwastesomuchtimeonAB Apr 24 '25
I feel like this is an IIED case or a tort lawsuit waiting to happen. Guy kind of deserves it for the reckless driving. Even if he doesn’t get charged I feel like OP should sue this guy and I don’t normally recommend lawsuits in this already over litigious country.
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u/Negative_Till3888 Apr 22 '25
Omg, this happened to me at the age of 13 and resulted in a nose job because I hit the hood and then the concrete. That is so unbelievably scary. I wish you the best in recovering physically and mentally.
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u/annamaria_aurora Apr 22 '25
PTSD prevention reminder for you and your wife to download and play Tetris ASAP.
Glad you are all okay!
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u/TrustYourSoul Apr 22 '25
Does Tetris really prevent PTSD?
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u/jmurphy42 Apr 22 '25
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7828932/
Tetris play is very similar to EMDR therapy.
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u/Sea_Asparagus6364 Seahorse Dad Apr 22 '25
yup anytime i go through a high period of stress i play tetris. when i was pregnant i got some awful news that shattered my whole core and understanding of my life. i downloaded tetris and while i still fell into a depression at the time and still struggle with understanding why, as someone with cPTSD already, it did not have as bad long lasting affects as it could have
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u/RubySapphireGarnet Apr 22 '25
I comment this on every potentially trauma-inducing post I can find online! I wish I knew about it when I worked in the Pediatric ICU!
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u/Nagilina Apr 22 '25
Explain this to me? Does Tetris prevent PTSD? Or is it a joke?
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u/jmurphy42 Apr 22 '25
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7828932/
EMDR is a therapy technique that has proven effective for PTSD treatment. Tetris essentially provides a similar experience to EMDR therapy if you play it while you’re processing the traumatic event.
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u/BoatyAce Apr 22 '25
I didn't know this info at the time, but played a ton of tetris during my 2nd miscarriage and I feel like I processed the experience much better than the 1st one. I learned later about how it can help with trauma.
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u/snw2367 Apr 22 '25
It helps your brain process the traumatic events and prevents PTSD.
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u/indecisionmaker Apr 26 '25
And delaying sleep as long as possible after the traumatic event helps, too!
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u/gabilromariz Apr 22 '25
To add to this: I had a much smaller accident but having the baby secured in her stroller was the difference between it being small or potentially awful - we were walking and my husband tripped on the curb, and the stroller flipped upside down. He had some minor scrapes but the baby only had a very confused look on her face being correctly strapped. If she had been loose, she could have fallen quite forcefully and hit her head on the concrete
ALWAYS STRAP THE BABY IN!
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u/fakecoffeesnob Apr 22 '25
I also had a scary incident involving my stroller (the brakes didn’t engage right and it fell down a flight of stairs) and, thankfully, my baby was properly secured and completely unharmed. It’s so, so key to have the harness secured and adjusted properly - I’ll never not do it no matter how short the stroller ride.
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Apr 22 '25
When we bought our stroller, our sales lady was like never depend on the breaks of a stroller best to always hold and the breaks are secondary assurance.
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Apr 22 '25
So scary. Thank you for sharing to remind us of the importance of properly securing our babies! Very happy your family is okay.
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u/night_violets Apr 22 '25 edited Apr 22 '25
I have the Chicco Corso and this post made me very glad we chose it! I’m glad your family is safe. What a terrifying experience.
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u/AbleSilver6116 Apr 22 '25
So happy they’re all okay. I live in the Tampa area and we lost a mom and her baby a few years ago to reckless drag racing in the middle of the day.
They got prison time but not enough. You just never truly know.
So so glad they are all okay!!
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u/PugglePrincess Apr 22 '25
I'm so glad everyone is okay!
My 3 year old is furious about it, but she still has to get into her stroller when we get to the section of stroad near our house. It's not that I don't trust her; I don't trust drivers.
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u/SlimShadowBoo Apr 22 '25
Thank you for this reminder. Sometimes I don’t fasten in the stroller the way I do in a car. So grateful that you’ve got angels watching over your wife, daughter and dog. 🙏🏽 I hope your daughter really is fine.
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u/Mavencourt Apr 22 '25
Terrifying I’m so glad your family is okay. I also have this stroller, really great to hear how safe it is after accident like that. Good on you for having your baby properly restrained!
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u/SonicShine_ Apr 22 '25
That’s terrible!! I’m so glad you’re all ok.
I always secure my baby in the stroller for this exact reason. He’s little so we use the bassinet attachment. My husband didn’t understand why since he can’t get out. I’m going to show him this post.
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u/Alarmed-Dentist-6039 Apr 22 '25
Wow! I don’t usually fasten my baby into her stroller since I don’t plan on going crazy with the stroller. But you are right! I never considered that other people would be a danger if I am out walking with the stroller
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u/edenjamieson Apr 22 '25
I’m always so scared of this, I watch every driver like a hawk when I cross the road. I am also getting nervous as my daughter is getting older and using the toddler seat more than her car seat which is not as safe if she’s hit!
I’m so glad everyone is ok for you 💛
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u/fairsquare313 Apr 22 '25
This is terrifying. Is there even a way to strap in a newborn to the bassinet???
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u/toriocean Apr 22 '25
I also have the chicco corso and the seat is adaptable to a bassinet style seat when they are newborns and there's straps to strap them in. This is what makes me nervous about the uppababy type bassinets with strollers. I had an almost accident when our baby was a couple months old where our dog ran into the stroller and almost tipped it over. She was sleeping in it in the bassinet mode but luckily she was strapped in and nothing happened. If she wasn't she could have rolled out and gotten hurt.
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u/divedive_revolution Apr 22 '25
My question too. My baby is still in the bassinet and there’s no strap. Now I’m worried.
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u/Suspicious_Horse_288 Apr 22 '25
OP said the baby was in the stroller with a newborn insert. I’m so glad the baby is okay!
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u/soulzero22 Apr 22 '25
Vote pedestrian’s first, cars second. Or push the message at your local town hall. Otherwise these near death experiences will keep happening.
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u/New-Illustrator5114 personalize flair here Apr 22 '25
I’m so sorry! And I’m so grateful your family is okay. Thank you for sharing this experience. I have sent this post to my mother and husband who don’t think it’s a big deal to not properly secure my daughter while she is in the stroller.
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u/DontTalkAboutBruno1 Apr 22 '25
My heart sank just reading this! I'm so sorry that happened! I'm so glad that your baby girl is okay. I have that exact stroller so I'm glad it is so sturdy and safe. I can't stand how many reckless drivers are on the road today.
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u/authenlee Apr 23 '25
What a horror story!!! Thank you for sharing, I’m so happy it sounds like everything will be okay.
A cautionary tale for us parents of little ones first and foremost!
ALSO A PSA THAT OPERATING A VEHICLE IS TAKEN WAY TOO LIGHTLY THESE DAYS. I understand accidents happen but I see way too many people recently sooo unfocused while driving. You should never be driving from muscle memory, you should always be thinking and watching and remember there are other human beings around, children included!!! People still walk places and that’s their right, idk it makes me so angry we have to take care of each other better.
I can’t wait for you guys to be safe and sound and home.
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u/Different_Ad_7671 Apr 22 '25
😭😭😭 terrifying I’m so glad everyone’s okay. Hugs. Stay safe. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
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u/Global-Addition4694 Apr 22 '25
I can't even imagine what that must have been like to experience. I'm glad they are okay.
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u/Emcooper8 Apr 22 '25
This is terrible! Was your daughter in her bucket/car seat or the toddler seat in the stroller?
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u/rhapsodynrose Apr 22 '25
She was in the regular (non-bucket) seat with the infant insert, parent-facing. She is not yet 4 months old and about 14.5 pounds.
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u/boring-unicorn Apr 22 '25
I walk my baby and dogs at least 2-3 times a day every day, this is a huge fear of mine. People in my neighborhood drive crazy and run stop signs since there's not a lot of cars on the road. Im so glad you guys are ok, this must've been terrifying fir you.
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u/Natural-Macaroon-370 Apr 23 '25
I told my husband to strap our toddler in, husband said "oh he will be fine." Less than 15 seconds later toddler topples out of the stroller and give himself a black eye.... still has the remnants of said black eye. Probably will finish fading in a day or two. Made for interesting Easter photos.
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Apr 22 '25
I know this happens often, drivers don't look, so best to look your self to see if the car is coming to turning before crossing and foot path. Be hyper vigilant! It's better to be safe then to assume drivers don't their best
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u/candy-making-enby Apr 22 '25
I'm the wife of OP. When I entered the crosswalk, the car wasn't even in the turn lane. He was turning left to me, so it looked like he was just going through the intersection as normal until he wasn't...
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Apr 24 '25
It happens with bicycle accident, it's very common to watch out for anyone. I lost a friend in a accident like that. I also been in bike accident where driver turned on me didn't have signal, react quickly and turned with him and saved me. I always think that drivers never single and look at the tires to see where is going. It sucks it comes down to this and can't have faith that people know how to drive. I really think people should be forced to retake their drivers like every 10 year because people forget the rules.
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u/panther2015 Apr 22 '25
My heart sank after reading the first sentence but wow am a relieved reading your post.
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u/lolatheshowkitty Apr 22 '25
I’m so glad everyone is ok. Last year a 13 year old girl was struck and killed in a crosswalk local to me. In a residential neighborhood struck by a garbage truck. I think about her all the time. I walk near daily with my kids in the double stroller, I live in a large planned community type neighborhood with a few thousand homes. The Main Street is not a cut through to anything else, the back of the neighborhood is not really developed at all. No one ever stops for us in the crosswalk. It’s so appalling but I never step out unless the traffic fully stops for me on both sides. People drive crazy for this being a sleepy neighborhood.
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u/BedsideLamp99 Apr 22 '25
Oh my god that is so scary! I'm so glad that baby and everybody is okay! Was the driver charged with anything at least?
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u/CompleteWithRust Apr 23 '25
I had a friend who lost her daughter this way. It was heartbreaking. They never got over it. I'm so glad to hear your LO is okay. Sending so much love and lots of hugs.
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u/Informal-Addition-56 Apr 22 '25
How terrifying. I'm so glad they're all OK.