Child run over by float in Molalla parade

Story Published: Jul 4, 2010 at 1:30 PM PDT

Story Updated: Jul 4, 2010 at 3:22 PM PDT

MOLALLA, Ore. – A Life Flight helicopter was called in to a July 4 parade in Clackamas County, whisking away a boy run over Sunday by a parade float.

Molalla Fire Public Information Officer Denise Everhart said a 12-year-old boy was trying to catch candy thrown from a moving float in the Molalla Buckeroo Parade. She said the float was composed of a trailer with a dual wheel.

Everhart said the boy's foot first became caught in the wheel. Then, the float rolled over him.

The accident was reported to Clackamas County 9-1-1 dispatchers at 11:46 a.m.

The annual Fourth of July festivities, including the Molalla Buckaroo Parade, started Sunday at 9:30 a.m. This "Giant Street Parade" runs down Main Street in Molalla – a town of 7,800 residents about 30 miles southeast of Portland.

Everhart said the boy was conscious and alert after the accident. However, she said he "definitely" suffered a broken leg. She also said he was complaining of pain in his lower abdomen.

As a precaution, the boy was transported to Legacy Emanuel Hospital by Life Flight, Everhart told KATU. We have sent a photojournalist to the scene, and will follow with further details as they are available.

UPDATE: A spokesperson for Molalla Fire tells us this parade does have a policy of handing out candy from buckets, rather than throwing the candy from floats. He said the boy was working the float that ran over him – chauffeuring candy from the float to the crowd in a bucket.

Tot survives parade fall

By Gina Morton
The Daily Item

SELINSGROVE — A 20-month-old child fell from a moving float during the Selinsgrove Halloween parade Tuesday evening and was run over by the back wheels of the trailer.

The Beavertown boy was in the company of his mother and riding on a trailer towed by a vehicle when he fell off the right side, onto the road and into the path of the trailer’s wheels. The trailer was representing Graysonview Assisted Living Center in Penn Township.

Police said the trailer rolled over the child before his mother and other occupants could react. The driver was not initially aware of the child until alerted by others. The boy was taken to Geisinger Medical Center, near Danville, for treatment. Neither police nor the assisted living center released the name of the child or his mother.

Lennie C. Boop, executive administrator of Graysonview, said Wednesday the child’s mother is an employee of the facility.

He said in a statement Wednesday that the boy was kept overnight for observation and underwent tests, and that the child’s injuries are not believed to be serious.

Boop added that the facility is providing support to the family of the child.

This is the third year the facility has had a float in the parade, he said. He would not say how many people were on the float at the time of the accident because police are investigating.

Chris Kenawell, chairman of the Selinsgrove parade committee, said he wasn’t aware of Tuesday night’s accident until Wednesday morning.

There are no age restrictions or requirements of Selinsgrove parade participants, Kenawell said. The safety of individuals involved in the parade procession is the responsibility of the driver of the float and the chaperones, Kenawell said.

“Each float is run by their particular organization,” he said. “It is their responsibility to use common sense for the safety of people on the float.”

Kenawell, a parade committee member for the past nine years, said the parade has never had an accident such as Tuesday evening’s.

“I don’t know what restrictions would have helped something like this,” Kenawell said.

As a result of the accident, the committee will likely consider various safety precautions that could be implemented for coming parades, he said, adding that he could not guarantee any changes.

Sunbury’s Halloween parade is tonight and the chairman of the event said there are few safety regulations that participants are expected to follow.

Michael Hummel, fire police captain and organizer for the Sunbury parade, said the city event does not regulate the age of participants, but that officials try to keep a close eye on those involved with the march.

PARADE FLOAT CRUSHES LENEXA BOY, 10

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Wichita Eagle, The (KS) July 5, 1985
Edition: CITY EDITION Section: MAIN NEWS Page: 7A

Topics:

Index Terms:
VEHICLE DEATH KANSAS

PARADE FLOAT CRUSHES LENEXA BOY, 10

Author: ASSOCIATED PRESS

Dateline: LENEXA

Article Text:

A 10-year-old boy was killed Thursday when he was run over by a parade float during a Fourth of July celebration in this Kansas City suburb. Police said Matthew Taylor of Lenexa died shortly before noon at Humana Hospital in Overland Park from injuries suffered in 10:15 a.m. accident.

Taylor was riding on a float carrying members of the Lenexa Lazers swimming team when he and several other youths jumped off to pick up some candy they had dropped, police said. Police said the youth was crushed by the rear wheels of the flatbed trailer on which the float was being pulled.

The group's coach was driving the truck pulling the float, police said. Police said the youngster suffered a fractured skull, broken legs and internal injuries. No charges were expected to be filed against the coach, police said. Memo:
INDEPENDENCE DAY 1985

Copyright (c) 1985 The Wichita Eagle

Record Number: 8502040346

NEARBY HELP UNABLE TO SAVE CHILD

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Wichita Eagle, The (KS) October 17, 1994
Edition: CITY Section: MAIN NEWS Page: 14A

NEARBY HELP UNABLE TO SAVE CHILD

Author: Associated Press

Article Text:OKLEE, Minn. Ambulance driver Jim Dessellier was waiting to join a homecoming parade when he saw a girl in his side mirror slip and fall under the wheels of a float. Nearby, watching the festivities with his family, was an emergency medical technician. So, too, was the sheriff. The three reacted quickly but were unable to save the life of 12-year-old Adeline Chervestad, who jumped from the float to grab candy from the ground.

The girl's death Friday was the second tragedy in a week to strike the tiny northwestern Minnesota communities of Oklee and Plummer, where student athletes compete together as the Red Lake County Central Mustangs. Joseph Lallier, 19, and Seth Culkins, 15, both of Plummer, died Oct. 10 after their dirt bikes collided head-on.

Culkins had been headed to a pre- homecoming bonfire and a dance. Red Lake County Sheriff Allan Morken said the accident that killed Adeline is under investigation. Sheer coincidence placed Jim Dessellier, the ambulance driver, so close to the float Adeline's was riding with her seventh-grade classmates.

He was preparing to take his position in the parade route when he saw Adeline in the path of the float's wheels as the driver slowly began making a turn. ''I said to myself she better move or get out of there or she could get run over, and that's just what happened," Dessellier said. Adeline's classmates yelled at the float driver to stop after they saw her fall under a wheel, Dessellier said.

Copyright (c) 1994 The Wichita Eagle

Record Number: 9402090142

Family celebrates girl's life, one year after near-fatal parade accident

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Chanute Tribune, The (KS) March 17, 2001

Family celebrates girl's life, one year after near-fatal parade accident

Author: © 2001 The Associated Press

Article Text:KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Saturday is St. Patrick's Day, but that's not why the Fletcher family is throwing a party. Steve and Shauna Fletcher are celebrating the life of their 4-year-old daughter, Kelly. In a sense, though, the celebration is about St. Patrick's Day. Saturday marks one year since Kelly fell under the wheels of a St. Patrick's Day float on a downtown Kansas City street.

Kelly's broken pelvis and lacerated liver have healed, and now she is as active, healthy and cheerful as any of her peers. Dozens of people sent cards, stuffed animals, balloons and notes to Kelly at Children's Mercy Hospital last year. Many of them did not know the Fletchers.

"The outpouring of support helped us get through," Shauna Fletcher said in her kitchen Thursday, as Kelly sat on her lap coloring pieces of paper with an orange marker. "It was very overwhelming." The Fletchers requested privacy in the months after the accident. They agreed to discuss Kelly's recovery after realizing that many people, including some who witnessed the near-tragedy from the sidewalk, wanted to know how she was doing. The answer could have been different, but several things went right that day.

When Kelly fell the crowd yelled at the float's driver, who stopped quickly and backed up. An off-duty firefighter and a nurse who worked in the intensive care unit at Children's Mercy tended to Kelly. Not far behind the float, the Rampart Search and Rescue team from Denver was in the parade. Its members dropped out to help. At the hospital, the news was grim. Kelly's liver was bleeding. She received two transfusions. Doctors asked permission to operate, but then decided to wait an hour to see if the bleeding would stop. They worried that Kelly would not survive the surgery.

The bleeding stopped. Kelly spent two weeks in intensive care, part of it in an induced coma. She went home a month after the accident. "It was touch and go for so long," Shauna Fletcher said. In July, her parents asked Kelly if she wanted to ride her bike in their annual neighborhood parade. "Yes," Kelly said, "but I don't want to ride on a float." The party Saturday will give the family, including Kelly's three siblings, a happy way to think of St. Patrick's Day again. "We decided to do this," Steve Fletcher said, "as a thank-you for all the people who supported us."

Copyright 2001, 2006 The Chanute Tribune. All Rights Reserved.

Record Number: 10F1FC990F2867F7

Man injured during parade, Tanner appointment, woman's 103rd birthday

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Ottawa Herald, The (KS) December 8, 1997

Man injured during parade, Tanner appointment, woman's 103rd birthday

Author: The Ottawa HeraldFor Harris News Service

Article Text:OTTAWA A 19-year-old Ottawa man was injured during Saturday's Christmas parade after his wheelchair got tangled up with a float and was dragged several feet. Robert Harris, 719 S. Sycamore, was being pushed across the street by an unidentified girl when the accident occurred about 1:20 p.m., police said.

He was taken by Franklin County ambulance to Ransom Memorial Hospital, where he was treated and was released. Frank D. Yates, 54, 1446 Eisenhower Ave., was driving the tractor that was towing the float when he said he heard someone screaming.

He then looked back and saw Harris in the roadway. TOPEKA Rep. Ralph Tanner, R-Baldwin, has been appointed to the Joint Advisory Committee on Governance, Kansas House Speaker Tim Shallenburger announced recenlty.

The Kansas Board of Regents and Kansas State Board of Education formed the committee in 1994 to monitor the transition of students from secondary schools to college, improve post-secondary education in Kansas and to increase cooperation between the two boards. Besides Tanner, the committee consists of four members from each board, a member of the Kansas Senate and Gov. Bill Graves. OTTAWA Lillian Spears, Ottawa, will celebrate her 103rd birthday Thursday. She was born Dec. 11, 1894, at Vandalia, Mo. She moved with her family to


Oklahoma when she was 12 years old to help settle the new territory. She had an active life during her younger years. She worked at Sunflower Ordinance Plant during World War II and later worked at the Mode O' Day dress shop until she retired. She has two children, Elmore (deceased) and Norene Hobbs, 822 W. Sixth, Ottawa; nine grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren, and numerous great-great-grandchildren. This year she will celebrate with a card shower, which can be sent to 1100 W. 15th, Room 140, Ottawa, 66067. hotw: Dec 8, 97 (Mon 01:11p) briefs-for-harris!a!

Copyright 1997, 2005 Ottawa Herald, The (KS)

Record Number: 10C7C21708C1BDC3

Student hurt in parade

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Hays Daily News, The (KS) October 3, 2004

Regional briefs

Article Text:Breakfast to help Ellis County United Way "Eating their way toward the goal" will be the theme for a United Way of Ellis County benefit breakfast hosted by Golden Corral, 383 Mopar Drive. As a kickoff to Fort Hays State University's Homecoming weekend, FHSU cheerleaders will be on hand and university football players will wait tables at the event.

"We want to engage our athletes in more community service," said Curtis Hammeke, FHSU athletic director. "I believe very strongly in the benefit of community service, the benefit not only to the community, but also the athletes." Golden Corral chose a Friday, a day the restaurant ordinarily does not serve breakfast, to host the event.

"We appreciate Golden Corral's willingness to participate in this year's campaign and we are looking forward to a long-lasting partnership that will benefit the community, the United Way and Golden Corral," said Dennis Brumbaugh, 2004-2005 United Way of Ellis County campaign chair. "Any time we can get more people involved in any aspect of community support, through volunteering time or contributions, the whole community comes out ahead," Brumbaugh said. Breakfast will be served from 6:30 to 9:30 a.m. Friday. Tickets are $5 each and are available in advance from the United Way or can be purchased at the door. All ticket proceeds and tips go to the United Way of Ellis County.

Door prizes will be given away. A Wal-Mart gift card will be given to the FHSU student organization that has the most members present at 8:30 a.m. Money raised during the United Way campaign helps support a network of 16 member agencies that provide assistance and change lives throughout Ellis County. To purchase tickets, contact the United Way office at (785) 628-8281. County commissioners face a full agenda Monday

The Ellis County Commission will meet in regular session at 8:45 a.m. Monday in the Commission Room at the Ellis County Courthouse, 1204 Fort. l At 8:45, Ellis County 4-H and Youth Extension agent Susan Schlichting will present a proclamation on National 4-H Week and will update the board on extension activities. l At 9,

Public Works Administrator Mike Graf will discuss road and bridge, solid waste, noxious weed and environmental matters. l At 10, Hays resident Robert Custer will discuss a nuisance complaint filed against him. l At 10:15, Hays planning inspector and enforcement superintendent Jesse Rohr will discuss the final plat and rezoning of L. Kuhn Second Addition. l At 10:30, Northwest Kansas Community Corrections Director John Trembley will discuss the fiscal year 2004 comprehensive plan objective report. Ellis County to talk about repairs for hail damage ELLIS - The Ellis City Council will meet in regular session at 7:30 p.m. Monday at City Hall. Representatives from Golden Belt Telephone will address the council. The council will discuss roof repairs from 2003 hail damage and a request to purchase mulch for Creekside Park play equipment. Council members will hear reports on the city clerk's request to attend a November conference in Wichita, the municipal pool, the water situation and conditions, an engineer's report on streets, a tennis court project and an attorney's report on Jefferson property.

Student hurt in parade A 12-year-old Felten Middle School student riding on a Homecoming parade float was injured when he fell off the float and his leg was run over. The boy fell off the float trailer at the intersection of 16th and Main. After he fell, the trailer wheel ran over his leg. The incident occurred about 6:15 p.m. Friday. He was taken by ambulance to Hays Medical Center. The Hays police department said the boy's right foot was already in a cast from a previous injury, but the right leg is now in a cast from Friday evening's injury. Two hurt in accident

NICODEMUS - Two men were hurt in a Saturday morning wreck about a mile east of Nicodemus. A pickup driven by Matt E. Selzer, 35, Oakley, was eastbound on U.S. Highway 24 about a mile east of Nicodemus when it collided with a car driven southbound on a county road by Ryan M. Shearer, 18, Almena. Selzer's pickup struck Shearer's car in the passenger door area. The pickup went off the southeast corner of intersection, struck a guardrail and came to rest in the south ditch. The car came to rest on the north edge of the roadway. Both men were wearing seat belts when the wreck happened. Both were taken to Graham County Hospital at Hill City.

Copyright 2004, 2005 Hays Daily News, The (KS)

Record Number: 10A4E1D518AA6DE6