A video making the rounds this week is being called nothing short of a miracle by Gwinnett County Police.
The footage shows a three-vehicle crash involving a police car in which an unrestrained child is ejected from a pickup truck and lands on the police vehicle. According to Gwinnett County Police, the child walked away with only a few minor scratches.
The seat belt message
Police say the child in the video was not properly restrained at the time of the crash, and they are using the footage to urge drivers to buckle up every passenger before pulling out of the driveway, especially children.
“Even if you follow every traffic law and do everything right behind the wheel, there’s always a chance another driver won’t,” the department said.
Officials are asking drivers to take a few extra seconds before every trip to make sure everyone in the vehicle is properly secured. Georgia law requires children under 8 to be in an approved child safety seat or booster, but the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends keeping children in a booster until they reach 4 feet 9 inches, meaning many children well into elementary school should still be buckled into a booster seat, even if the law doesn’t require it.
The department did not release additional details about the other drivers involved in the crash or whether any citations were issued.
Why police are sharing the video
Gwinnett County Police say they released the video as part of a broader push to reduce serious and deadly crashes in the county. The department has been running an enforcement effort called Operation Summer Brake, which targets traffic violations most likely to cause serious injuries or deaths.
“This video is nothing short of a miracle,” the department said in a statement.
Officials say the crash is a reminder that traffic enforcement goes beyond writing tickets. “It’s about preventing tragedies and keeping our community safe,” the department said.
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
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