Kenlee Crawford, a 3-year-old child from Schley County, was recently protected from critical injury by a combination car seat provided by the Georgia Child Passenger Safety Program and obtained through a grant from the Governor's Office of Highway Safety by the Schley County Health Department.

 

Kenlee, her mother, Angela Caruso, and her grandmother were traveling in Groveland, Florida on Sunday, November 25, when they were side impacted at high speed by a 1996 Ford Explorer. Their car, a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze, received a major impact on the right rear passenger door. Kenlee's grandmother was sitting beside her near the impact and was wearing seatbelts. The impact threw her grandmother into the side of the car seat, bending the right side and forcing the car seat into the left rear door panel causing damage to the left side of the car seat.

 

2012 Chevrolet Cruze with side impact.

Kenlee's only injuries were shoulder belt burns from the harnesses of the car seat. Her grandmother received a ruptured spleen, seat belt burns and bruises. Angela Caruso, Kenlee's mother, and the driver received seat belt burns and a minor concussion. The 2012 Chevrolet Cruze was totaled and all side airbags were deployed.

  

John T. Greene, Georgia Family Connection Coordinator, is the program administrator for the Child Passenger Safety Program in Schley County. The car seat program in Schley County is now in its fifth year and has provided over 425 car seats to local families.

 

"This is a great example of how the proper use and installation of the car seat protected Kenlee," said John T. Greene, Schley County Family Connection Coordinator. "Without the combination car seat with harnesses, Kenlee could have possibly received serious injuries from impact with the rear driver's door panel."

  

For more information about the car seat safety program in Schley County, and to see if your child qualifies for a free car seat, please call Georgia Family Connection, Schley County Collaborative at 937-5334.