Two-Year-Old Dies When TV Falls On Her

A two-year-old girl died Saturday night after a television fell on her in Cresson, Texas while she was watching her uncle work on it.

The TV was on a stand about three feet tall when it crushed Cheyenne Newton’s head and upper body. She died instantly.

The uncle was either working on connecting a video game console or DVD player when the incident occurred. The parents were not home.

The Hood County Sheriff Roger Deeds says he doubts that the district attorney’s office and Child Protective Services will file any charges against the uncle.

This is an accident in its most extreme case, and our hearts go out to the Newton family. This is just a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It is important to remember to always watch your children though because most fatalities occur when the child was out of supervision for less than five minutes. If there is a potential danger, remove them from that area so these types of accidents don’t happen.

According to the Consumers Union of the United States, ten children died after a TV fell on them in 2006 alone. Before you put your TV on other furniture, make sure it's sturdy and can handle the TV's weight. Also, a non-skid mat under the TV may reduce the chances that the television would slip. Try not to work on a television set when children are around, just in case an accident does occur.

But because the uncle was working on the TV, I’m sure he could do nothing but watch as the TV toppled onto Cheyenne. I offer my deepest sympathies because losing a family member, especially a child, is hard.

Information and commentary is provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Child Injury Attorney Mark Anderson. The Anderson Law Firm can be reached in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 or in Dallas at 214-327-8000. For more information regarding child injury, please fill out our contact form online for a free consultation.