Three children in the United States have accidentally chopped off a fingertip after because of a fault with their stroller and two adults have reported smashing or cutting their fingers.
The horrific injuries happened after they got a finger jammed in a hinge mechanism used to adjust handlebars on Kolcraft Contours Options products and five models have since been recalled.
Around 36,000 defective strollers were sold in the U.S. and Canada between January 2006 and June 2012, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
The horrific injuries happened after they got a finger jammed in a hinge mechanism used to adjust handlebars on Kolcraft Contours Options products and five models have since been recalled
Pushchairs with model numbers beginning ZL002, ZL005, ZL008, ZL015 and ZL018, will be taken down from store shelves, CNN reported and free repair kits are being made available.
Kolcraft has urged worried parents to stop using their stroller immediately and contact the company for more information.
The strollers are made in China and come in both three and four-wheel options, costing around $150.
They have been sold nationwide at juvenile product specialty stores, as well as online at Amazon.com, Target.com and ToysRUs.com.
Jeff Blackburn was driving his garbage truck on his regular route in Seattle when he saw a woman jogging with a baby in a pram, TV network Komo 4 reports.
Scroll down for video
The mother turned the pram sideways at the top of a hill and moved away to talk to some other women when the stroller took off, he said.
“She was on a hill and almost immediately when she turned the corner the stroller started to turn and roll down the hill,” Mr Blackburn said.
“So I started honking the horn and speeding up so I could catch up to it before it got to the intersection, because at the bottom of the hill was a busy intersection with stop signs.”
Blackburn acted quickly to avert disaster. He honked the horn of his truck repeatedly, attracting the attention of a FedEx truck that stopped in time. Quick thinking, he used his big truck to block traffic so the intersection was free for the stroller to roll across safely.
He then jumped out of his truck and ran across the road just in time to stop the stroller as it bumped over a curb.
He told KOMO4: “When I got to the bottom, I hit the brake, got out of the truck and tried to grab it. Luckily when I was honking the horn, a FedEx truck was going through the intersection and stopped because he heard the horn honking.”
The video shows a woman giving a helping hand with the rescue effort.
The boy was rescued unhurt and and it seems he had enjoyed the roll down the hill. Blackburn told KOMO4: “He seemed to be having a great time rolling down the hill… he seemed to enjoy it.”
The frantic woman arrived seconds later.
“She came running in — she was freaked out and was shaking and… I don’t even think she said anything, she just grabbed the kid and ran away,” Blackburn said. “She was just really, really shook up.”
He says he was in the right place at the right time because the FedEx truck going through the intersection would likely have never seen the stroller had it not been for all the horn honking.
Blackburn was asked if he had seen anything before in the three years he’s been on the route.
“No, this is the first. People usually hold on to their children,” he laughed.
This website has updated its privacy policy in compliance with EU GDPR 2016/679. Please read this to review the updates about which personal data we collect on our site. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our updated policy. AcceptRejectRead More
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.