How could this happen? A precious seven-month-old toddler was killed in his stroller after a red Toyota pickup truck ran into him and his father as they waited at South Cooper and California Lane in Arlington around 9:00 a.m.. The baby boy, David Bingenheimer, tragically died at the scene.
This horrible story took place on Thursday morning when the boy’s father, 28-year-old Daniel Bingenheimer, had just left a convenience store and was standing on a sidewalk waiting to cross the street. A red pickup truck, traveling south on Cooper, crashed into a white Chrysler sedan in the process of making a left turn onto California Lane. The collision propelled the truck in the direction of Daniel and David Bingenheimer. Both were struck.
Witnesses to the event heard a loud bang and rushed outside to see what had happened. They saw the crumpled stroller in the middle of the street and Daniel “crying and going crazy” as he held his son in the median. One of the witnesses went to find his office manager, who knows CPR.
Meanwhile, the pickup driver insisted that the sedan driver was to blame, since she was the one who struck him. The sedan driver was extremely upset. Later, the sedan driver and Daniel Bingenheimer were transported to the Medical Center of Arlington to have their injuries treated. The driver of the truck was not apparently injured.
The Arlington police are in the process of trying to determine which driver had the green light to proceed. It may be that the sedan driver ran a red light. While no alcohol was involved, there is speculation that the sedan driver was texting. Texting while driving is dangerous and has been illegal in Arlington since 2011. I have blogged about this serious problem on many occasions and strongly believe that texting while driving should be illegal across the state. Police are checking the phone records of both drivers. There is no red-light camera at that intersection to provide evidence of who was at fault.
A memorial has sprouted up at the location of the collision and a donation website page was created. Over $12,000 has been raised to cover expenses but more money is needed. Here’s the link if you would like to make a donation. Many of those who contributed undoubtedly had young children and feared that a similar accident could happen to them. It highlights the tragic consequences when drivers treat driving as a right instead of a responsibility, and when someone can’t even stand on a sidewalk without fear of his precious child being run into.
My thought and prayers go out to the Bingenheimer family.
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