3-year-old not hurt after three-story fall in Addison
If they didn't have one before, Addison residents now have a reason to believe in miracles.
A 3-year-old girl plummeted Monday night from a third-story window and landed safely in a grassy area on the 900 block of College Boulevard in the village.
Officials say she sustained no injuries, and police are releasing none of the names of people involved.
The girl and several other children were being baby-sat by a neighbor at an Addison apartment around 8 p.m. when the incident occurred, Police Chief Timothy Hayden said.
The baby sitter was in another room when she heard a commotion in the bedroom. She rushed into the room and immediately saw a missing screen. The little girl also was missing, Hayden said.
The baby sitter ran down to the grassy lawn outside the building and found the girl conscious. Hayden said she took the child upstairs and called 911 and the parents.
"The baby sitter did everything correct and used her head during a stressful situation," Hayden said. "She took all the right precautions."
The Addison Fire Department responded to the call. Emergency workers found the girl conscious and alert, with no visible injuries, officials said. As a precaution, she was taken to Advocate Good Samaritan in Downers Grove, where she was treated and released by Tuesday morning.
Fire Chief Leigh Fabbri said conditions of the grass contributed to the child's safe landing.
"I'm sure that helped break her fall, especially with all the rain we've had lately," Fabbri said. "The ground was likely much softer than usual."
The girl's family couldn't be reached for comment Tuesday. Claudine Gearing, manager of the apartment complex where the family lives, said they have requested privacy.
Police checked the window from which the girl fell and corroborated the baby sitter's account that the screen was in place. No charges have been filed, and the investigation is over, Hayden said.
"It was purely an accident," he said.
Fabbri cautioned that parents should take precautions with young children around screens, saying to install blocking window panels and to keep furniture away from screen windows so children won't climb on them.
"A screen won't support the weight of a toddler," he said. "Parents, think about what your children might do. It's not different than putting child safety locks on your cabinets to keep them away from dangerous chemicals."