Toddler run over by lawnmower while at daycare

[Thriftylady]

I don't think it is a crime, just bad judgment. It is sad to me that accidents can be so easily considered a crime. It is one of the reasons we have shortages in workers and services. My husband is in the same boat. He is a semi driver, and one wreck can land him in jail if someone dies, even if it isn't his fault. Truck drivers all over get a bad name because of the "horrible wrecks" they cause. But people don't realize the millions of miles they drive and that alone increases the risk of accident. The same as doing daycare increases the chance a child will get hurt in our care. But even though I don't think this was criminal it was such bad judgement that I think she should lose her child care license.

[originalkat]

I don't think it is a crime, just bad judgment. It is sad to me that accidents can be so easily considered a crime. It is one of the reasons we have shortages in workers and services. My husband is in the same boat. He is a semi driver, and one wreck can land him in jail if someone dies, even if it isn't his fault. Truck drivers all over get a bad name because of the "horrible wrecks" they cause. But people don't realize the millions of miles they drive and that alone increases the risk of accident. The same as doing daycare increases the chance a child will get hurt in our care. But even though I don't think this was criminal it was such bad judgement that I think she should lose her child care license.

I agree in so many ways!
I was a truck driver with my husband years ago and the road is a truck drivers' HOME! It is their workplace. Four-Wheelers (as we would call them) are guests on the road and often forget how much we rely on truck drivers to deliver EVERYTHING we need! One day without truck deliveries would equal practically empty shelves in the grocery store. But people talk so much crap about them. Grrr. God Bless our Truck Drivers!lovethis

As for the provider.... Wow. I must be the odd man out, but I feel for everyone in this situation (including the provider and her family). This is my hometown. No, she should not have mowed the lawn. But based on her reputation, record of great inspections, and experience, I would venture to say this is not something she does regularly. It was most likely a quick poor decision based on any number of facors and she thought, "Dang it, we didnt get this mowed. We have this and this and this going on this weekend. The kids are playing. Im just going to knock this out real quick."
Then a tragic accident occurred.
It is a horrible tragedy which occurred from a bad choice. I am not excusing it, but at the same time I don't think she is a criminal as she is being treated. She is a normal mom, wife, daycare provider like any of us who made one wrong decision which led to tragedy.

[lblanke]

Something similar happened here with a school bus driver going very fast on a 2 lane country road. Several children were injured, some seriously. She was criminally prosecuted and plead guilty but granted judicial diversion. As long as she has no more legal problems for a period of time, her record will be wiped clean, and she will face no jail time. But, she can probably never drive a school bus again. Seems like a similar situation...someone responsible for children was negligent in caring for those children, and kids were seriously inured.

[NightOwl]

Has there been any new developments in this case? I totally agree that it's widely considered two different things depending on where accidents happen. Daycare is criminal, home is a tragedy. I guess that's why I questioned Sharlan about it. But given that she was doing it 20+ years ago, that's understandable. Things were different then. People didn't have their lawyers on speed dial. There was more trust and way less blame. I never rode in a car seat or worried about an accident when I rode on the lawnmower as a child. I'm sure these accidents happened, but they didn't make national news and there was no social media to spread the story around. It's not that it never happened, it's just that we didn't hear about it.

[MyAngels]

Actually, whether this had happened to a provider or a parent, I think it could be considered a crime. She was charged with aggravated child endangerment, which according to Kansas statutes is defined as:

"Endangering a child is knowingly and unreasonably causing or permitting a child under the age of 18 years to be placed in a situation in which the child's life, body or health may be endangered."

By my interpretation that could apply to anyone in this situation.

[Josiegirl]

I'm going to come off like a judgmental ole witch here. I've been doing child care for over 30 years and would've never considered mowing with little kids around. Obviously I don't know the provider involved, maybe she's single and works 24/7. If that's the case you can get a helper for an hour while you mow. I am not sympathetic to her situation at all. As I said before, if she's mowing with kids present, who knows what else she does while they're there. Maybe she presents herself to be Ms Mary Poppins but what she did was a horrible tragic decision affecting a little girl. There's a huge difference between a skinned knee and possibly losing a leg from the knee down. A child should never ever be even close to a situation as dangerous as that. Most cases hindsight teaches us lessons painlessly. Not this one. Having a child ride a mower with dad or having them help mow while you mow, things like that have always been one of my huge pet peeves. We don't rethink our actions until it's too late and something tragic has happened.

Off my soapbox now.

[Thriftylady]

I'm going to come off like a judgmental ole witch here. I've been doing child care for over 30 years and would've never considered mowing with little kids around. Obviously I don't know the provider involved, maybe she's single and works 24/7. If that's the case you can get a helper for an hour while you mow. I am not sympathetic to her situation at all. As I said before, if she's mowing with kids present, who knows what else she does while they're there. Maybe she presents herself to be Ms Mary Poppins but what she did was a horrible tragic decision affecting a little girl. There's a huge difference between a skinned knee and possibly losing a leg from the knee down. A child should never ever be even close to a situation as dangerous as that. Most cases hindsight teaches us lessons painlessly. Not this one. Having a child ride a mower with dad or having them help mow while you mow, things like that have always been one of my huge pet peeves. We don't rethink our actions until it's too late and something tragic has happened.

Off my soapbox now.

Well I know when I was licensed in KS, you couldn't have kids more than 18 hours a day. I do get what you are saying about just needing to get it done, but there are always kids in that town looking to make a couple bucks. I guess we were not there and we are not her, so we don't know but I wish this poor child wasn't hurt.