Michigan girl, 1, killed after struck by grandmother mowing lawn

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A one-year-old girl in Michigan has died after officials said her grandmother struck the child while mowing the lawn over the weekend.

The Lenawee County Sheriff’s Office said emergency responders were called just before 5 p.m. Sunday to a home in Woodstock Township, 120 kilometres west of Detroit, for a child who was struck by a riding lawn mower, reports the Detroit News.

Police said the 52-year-old woman, who is the homeowner and the victim’s grandmother, told cops she was unaware the child was outside while she cut the grass.

Paramedics transported the girl to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead, authorities said.

No other information about the tragic incident was released by officials.

In the U.S., lawn mower accidents account for approximately 85,000 injuries and about 75 deaths each year, according to Children’s Mercy, a Kansas City-based pediatric, nonprofit health centre. Of those injuries, more than 9,000 — and upwards of 17,000 — involve children.

“Many are injured while operating the machines and many others are injured while riding on or being near lawn mowers in operation,” said Dr. Chris Day, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

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In addition, incidents involving lawn mowers are a leading cause of amputations among children and the top cause of major limb loss for kids less than 10 years of age.

Safety tips provided by the American Academy of Pediatrics include ensuring young children are indoors before an individual begins mowing the lawn, remain aware of where children are and do not allow them near the area where you are working, do not mow in reverse, and do not allow children to ride with you on a riding mower.