Apparently a 21 month old kid sitting in a baby seat got loose, opened the door, and fell out of a moving car. He died 17 hours later. 30 years later and we still don't know how to use child safety locks.

http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/3555087.html

Kuan

That is a strange story. The 21 month old kid unbuckled himself and got out of his carseat then somehow got past two siblings, opened the car door and fell out. And the father was next to him on the other side...

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joE
1993 300e-2.8 - gone now <sigh>
"Do not adjust your mind, it's reality that's malfunctioning"
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Back in the 70s I was following a car while on my motor cycle when I saw a car door open and a big doll fall out of the car in front of me. The doll landed on its back and skid for a while.....and then got up and started running after the car! What a nightmarish scene! It still makes me sick to think of it.

The lesson is that you simply can't stop kids from doing stupid things...

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...Tracy

'00 ML320 "Casper"
'92 400E "Stella"

The police have no reason not to believe that this is what actually happened. To me it sounds like an extraordinary set of events would have to occur in order for a kid to fall out of a car.

Kuan

actually yes! i saw a MANIAC behind the wheel of a 560SEL the other day in richmond. he would accelerate up to 100 when there was a break in traffic, weave in and out of cars, brake hard. it's like he was running from the cops. i watched all this in my rear view mirror (noticed the MB of course) and when he comes to tailgate, then pass me, i notice his wife and child are both in the back seat getting thrown around like rag dolls! what the hell!

at least they were in a safe car.

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1995 E320 Sportline Wagon "Bernard"
black on black leather

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Damn! that's tragic!! My heart goes out to them.

I still remeber as a child riding in the back seat of my family's Fiat. No child seat or anything in the late 60's (and my parents were perfectly responsible) I would STAND behind the front passenger seat and hole on to the headrest!! Glad we never got in an accident!

If your going to drive like that, the 560SEL is the car to do it in.. drool..

Back in the days before seatbelt laws and car seats for kids, 1968, my younger brother fell out of our family car. My parents let him stand on the back seat in the middle. Unknown to us at the time we had a sticky door latch, the door looked closed but it wasn't latched. My brother survived with a few scrapes and bruises and from then on had to sit down in the car.

Now to modern times, the other day (and I see this regularly) I saw a kid about age 6 or 7 standing in the front floorboard of the car he was riding in. The driver, I assume it was his father, was ducking in and out of Christmas shopper traffic here in the metro Atlanta area. Stupid, stupid, stupid.........

I don't even pull my car out of park until everyone is belted in their seats!!!

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1991 300SE (my ride, 279,000 miles, looks almost new
1954 Cadillac (21 yo son's car, he bought when age 15)
1972 SeaBird 19 ft runabout (old but solid, slant six, Volvo sterndrive perfect condition, undergoing complete overhaul and refit)
1998 Toyota Rav4 (my sons daily driver when he is in the Continental US, PROUDLY serving in US Navy)

I fell out of a 1940 Ford when I was six and to top it off the boat trailer ran over my legs. No permanent damage but my pride. I was sleeping and
leaning against the door.

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Happy Benzing
Darryl, Hill
2005 SL55 AMG Kleemanized
1984 500 SEC
1967 W113 California Coupe
[SIGPIC]
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People driving slow in the left lane! Move over!!

Was reminded of another thing that steams me......person riding in the left lane, at the last minute ducks across 5 lanes of rush hour traffic to get off at that exit. I KNOW we all have seen this

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1991 300SE (my ride, 279,000 miles, looks almost new
1954 Cadillac (21 yo son's car, he bought when age 15)
1972 SeaBird 19 ft runabout (old but solid, slant six, Volvo sterndrive perfect condition, undergoing complete overhaul and refit)
1998 Toyota Rav4 (my sons daily driver when he is in the Continental US, PROUDLY serving in US Navy)

No car I've seen has four seat belts in the rear. So, someone was unbuckled. I suspect they all were loose in the back.

The two older siblings on the left were fooling around, and the "baby" was playing with them, when the door opened and he fell out.

That seems the most likely scenario for this to happen.

Now, the young woman does not want to admit that her kids were unbelted, and has embelished her account a little to make it seem like she was indeed acting safe.

Oh, btw, check your MB. No child safe door locks. Doesn't bother me.

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John Shellenberg
1998 C230 "Black Betty" 240K

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