Finding into death of Prabh Dhiyan
Deceased
Prabh Dhiyan
Demographics
1y, male
Date of death
2011-02-15
Finding date
2013-02-22
Cause of death
Blunt head trauma (motor vehicle impact – pedestrian)
AI-generated summary
A 16-month-old boy was struck by a vehicle in his family's driveway when he crawled into the path of the car while his grandmother was momentarily distracted. The death highlights critical supervision gaps in driveways, where most incidents involve children under six years old near parked vehicles. Key clinical lessons: caregivers must maintain constant visual awareness of toddlers near vehicles; brief lapses in supervision of young children in driveways create life-threatening risks; prevention requires consistent caregiver education about driveway hazards. The coroner's investigation emphasised that 85% of drivers were unaware a child was near their vehicle, underscoring the importance of visual checks before moving vehicles and sustained supervision of mobile infants in potentially hazardous domestic environments.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Error types
Contributing factors
- Momentary distraction of caregiver (grandmother)
- Inadequate supervision of mobile toddler in driveway
- Toddler crawled into path of vehicle
- Driver unable to see child in driveway
Coroner's recommendations
- Driveway safety awareness campaign with message 'Just because you can't see me doesn't mean I'm not here'
- Education for parents and caregivers of young children regarding driveway supervision and caution
- Incorporation of driveway safety into VicRoads safety strategy focusing on early childhood settings
- Emphasis that parents/carers must always know where children are before reversing out of a driveway
- Particular focus on children under six years of age
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