Parents make 2-year-old boy practise crossing the road despite heavy traffic
In a tragic and ironic twist, a two-year-old boy in China was struck by a car after his parents made him practise crossing the road by himself.
According to CTWANT, the incident occurred on 20 July around 5pm in Zhangjiajie, Hunan Province.
Despite heavy traffic, with vehicles zooming past, the boy’s parents insisted on having their son illegally cross the road to “train” him.
Car speeds past & runs into toddler
Surveillance footage shows the parents standing on one side of the road while their toddler is on the opposite side.
As the boy attempts to walk across, he stumbles and falls on the ground.
Instead of rushing to his aid, his mother merely signals for him to get up.
When the boy hesitates, she briefly goes over to help him stand, only to leave him again to continue the dangerous ‘practice’ session.
The child then continues walking towards his parents, oblivious to the oncoming traffic.
In a heart-stopping moment, a white sedan suddenly appears, hitting the boy and sending him flying several metres away.
His parents then rush over to him before the clip ends.
Car driver deemed primarily responsible for incident
Local police confirmed the incident, revealing that the boy sustained injuries in the collision, which also caused damage to the car.
The full extent of the child’s injuries has not been disclosed.
While authorities determined that the car driver bore the primary responsibility for the accident, they also issued a stern warning to parents, emphasising that children should not be allowed to linger or play in public areas.
Netizens criticise 2-year-old boy’s parents
The video ignited heated discussions among Chinese netizens, with many expressing outrage and disbelief over the parents’ actions.
Some argued that the boy, who had only recently learned to walk, was far too young to learn how to cross the road.
They pointed out that at his age, children should be taught to avoid crossing the road by themselves rather than being encouraged to do so.
The incident also led to darker speculations, with some suggesting that the parents might have intentionally put their child in harm’s way to file an insurance claim.
Others went even further, accusing the parents of attempted murder and calling for them to be punished for their actions.
Also read: 4-Year-Old Girl Dies After River Valley Road Accident, Driver Arrested
4-Year-Old Girl Dies After River Valley Road Accident, Driver Arrested
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Featured image adapted from CTWANT and BiliBili.