1-year-old girl injured by falling TV on Near West Side
CHICAGO (WLS) -- A one-year-old girl was critically injured Thursday morning by a falling television on the Near West Side.
Chicago Police said it happened around 11:16 a.m. in the 1200-block of West Van Buren.
The girl was taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition.
The incident happened at a condo building full of young families, and the news was upsetting to other mothers who live there.
"It's a really nice community, so," said neighbor Nicole LeBeau, before breaking down in tears. "Sorry, I just hope it's not serious."
"I'm very surprised but I understand accidents happen. So I'm just hoping for the little girl's recovery. Fast, speedy recovery," said neighbor Angela Razo.
For Lisa Siefert of Barrington, it's a painfully familiar tragedy.
"My heart sinks," she said.
In 2011, Siefert's 2-year-old son Shane was killed by a toppled dresser.
Safety advocates said incidents like this happens every 24 minutes in the U.S. The Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates more than 25,000 children under the age of 10 are injured by toppled furniture every year, many by older TVs.
Safety advocates like Siefert say straps and brackets that anchor furniture to walls can prevent such accidents.
"People think it won't happen to them. You're not faster than a dresser falling. You're not faster than a TV falling, even if it happens in front of you," she said.
It's a lesson being heeded by parents at the building where the toddler was injured.
"Make sure everything's bolted and screwed in the way it's supposed to be, and just kind of keep a closer eye on the kids because they can get into anything and everything," said Razo.
Safety straps cost around $5 and take minutes to install. Advocates say it's not just televisions and furniture that need to be secured, but appliances like washers and dryers as well.
Tip-over accidents can happen anywhere in the home, but they often occur in bedrooms and involve older TVs that have been moved there and placed on a dresser.
