And They'll Probably Sue Cadillac

SAN DIEGO (AP) 5.4.04, 10:45a -- A 16-month-old boy, a member of a set of quadruplets, was killed when a family friend ran over him while backing a Cadillac Escalade out of a driveway. Cole Lovell was caught beneath the wheel of the SUV as his parents and siblings were preparing to load their van after a gathering Sunday in the Rancho San Diego neighborhood, according to the California Highway Patrol. The driver was attempting to move his vehicle to make it easier for the Lovells to load their van, said Peggy Ioannides, the boy's grandmother. "He tried to reach for his little plastic spoon and none of us see the baby," she said. "The little one, he doesn't walk that fast. I don't know how he got there." Pennings said the driver had asked if it was clear to back up before he started down the driveway. When the driver heard the screams, he stopped in a panic, she said. Cole was pulled from beneath the SUV and the family tried to revive him before paramedics arrived. He was declared dead at a hospital.

There are so many aspects of this story about which one could opine, anywhere from the questionable necessity of a behemoth vehicle such as the Escalade, or the irresponsibility of many parents, or the reasons for pro-choice, etc. But, for the sake of compassion, let's just cringe as we picture this incident in our mind and pray to god/buddha/whomever that we never let ourselves do anything remotely as stupid.

Also, whoever gave the "all clear" indication to the driver should be sent to one of the U.S. Army torture prisons in Iraq. Hey, come on, there's no denying we've got them there, so we may as well put them to good use.