A 3-year-old boy is dead after he fell from an upper floor window of the Arrive Alexandria apartment building on Yoakum Parkway on Wednesday.
The fire department responded to the call in the 200 block of Yoakum Parkway, in the city’s west end not far from Duke Street and Interstate 395, at 1:56 p.m.
“It’s a very tragic situation,” Alexandria Police Chief Don Hayes told NBC4, which reported the child fell from the 12th floor of the 13-story building.
His advice: “Make sure you know where your children are, and you’re keeping a close eye on them.”
Hayes said the window had a screen, but it was not known if the boy fell through it, according to WUSA9.
“I’m a granddad. To see something like this, it’s heartbreaking. I feel for the family, I can only imagine what they’re going through right now. We’re going to do the best we can to get to the bottom of this,” Hayes said during a Wednesday media briefing.
The police have not released the identity of the boy who fell from the apartment window, but do say family members were told at the time.
Back in April, Dr. Katie Donnelly, an emergency room doctor with Children’s National Hospital, wrote about the importance of parents doing all they can to prevent window falls during the warmer weather months.
“It looks completely different from down here,” said Dr. Sarah Ash Combs, in an accompanying YouTube video, as she squats down to the level of a toddler.
“Windows can be a very dangerous area of play for you child. When young children are around, keep windows closed and locked,” she said.
“Avoid placing furniture near windows to prevent young children from climbing and gaining access.”
She recommends installing window guards and talking with children about the dangers of window falls.
Feature image courtesy NBC4
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