Children Killed on M56
 

Two boys were knocked down and killed while walking across the carriageway of the M56 at Runcorn yesterday. It's a terrible tragedy but what on Earth were the children doing out on their own? One was 6 and the other 7.

The father of the younger boy was interviewed on radio today. He said the child had been out playing all afternoon and, "I thought he was playing on the street. When he didn't come home at 5 o clock I got worried." Obviously no one was keeping watch over these children who were little more than babies.

I know the area where the boys lived, it's a large estate surrounded by woodlands and the father said he had warned the child not to play in the woods and not to go past the motorway bridge. All well and good if he was talking about a teenager but this was a 6 year old for God's sake.

I'd like to think the man felt some guilt about letting his son play unsupervised but, from his last comment in the interview, I doubt it. "The doctor's been to see me and given me medication," he said. "They've suggested I go for counselling." Good to see where his priorities lie.

Re: Children Killed on M56
 

What a terrible tragedy but as you say children of this age need close supervision.

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Cant say i am thinking anything but what stupid little idiots and its thier own fault. sorry but its true.

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Sorry but I agree with Aleks on this, ok they should have been supervised. but at the age of 6 and 7 surely they knew they shouldn't play on the road let alone the motorway.

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Nice to see so much compassion

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Understand your sentiments Westender, but in my young days, was cycling to Whalley at 7 years old, let's face it though times have moved on and more traffic dangers than ever.

Was listening to a short interview this week with the actor who played the Green Cross Code guy and this campaign helped to reduce the children traffic accidents from 40,000 >> 20,000. Expressed an opinion that now there is no public 'slogans'/campaign aimed at children having traffic awareness, and all being focused on the driver and their speeds, etc. Thought this was a very good point.

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I have no compassion for such stupid morons who do this then expect sympathy. It was thier own fault, they got told not too go there for a reason and decided they knew best. And im pretty sure im only saying what alot of members are thinking but not willing to write.

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I think that's a very good point too, Katex.

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They were children, lets get things into perspective here as a child if you are told not to do something it makes it even more attractive.

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one of the kids had been out playing all afternoon at 6 years old? why oh why oh why? if Reece is out for more than 30 minutes i want to know where he is and he's 11

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The parents have got to take responsability for this harsh as it seems. In this day and age you should know where your children are at all times IMO.

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Sorry but something that serious you drill into your child. It never did me any harm. An yes i agree with you on the parents taking SOME of the blame. Its impossible to keep track of kids today though so most of it was their own silly fault.

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I'm not one of those members. It's tragic, kids are pre occupied with other things, at that age. Thats why they need parents and for alot more years than these two young ones lived. Their senses have in no way developed into that of an adult, they cant judge speed/distance. It seems to me it was an adventure that went tragically wrong....christ, I cant recall the last time I paid any attention to my father when I was a kid.

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yes your both right it should be drilled into the child, i live extremely close to the M65 and Reece wouldnt dare go down there

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As you just said you would know where he was these parents didn't a big difference IMO.

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I see what your saying but the simple bit is, even for a kid, motorway = danger dont go on it. I know ill ignore that and do it anyway.

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yeah it is a big difference, but why did they not know where the kids where? what where they doing all afternoon?

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That we will probably never know.

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Id be mega pee'd off if it was my car that hit them too, think of the damage.

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such a sad sad loss though, even though i didnt know the children i still feel for them

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I find it hard to credit that anyone can assume a 6 year old should be "savvy" enough to be left to his own devices for several hours, particularly when he lives within yards of a busy motorway. No, of course the little boys shouldn't have tried to cross that road but they were little boys. Common sense doesn't always prevail when you're 6.

Kate, I used to roam too at that age but, though I lived on a main road, there was little traffic around and motorways were something you wouldn't have imagined. I had a friend who lived at Harwood Bar who used, regularly, to ride her pony from there to West End to visit me. She did that from the age of 10. You'd be crazy to consider it safe to let a child do it today.

All that aside, however, my point was that these kids were completely unsupervised all afternoon. I seem to remember a good many people who said, in response to a thread of mine about my granddaughter being allowed to ride her bike in front of the house, that they don't let their children out of their sight. Where's the difference with these poor children?

Re: Children Killed on M56
 

There is no difference Westender and if I remember rightly in that thread I said that children should be allowed to play out with supervision. I wonder if these parents will see any come back because IMO it amounts to child neglect.

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We will have to wait and see if anything comes of it.

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I know Westender, not their fault though is it ? Poor little mites. Do feel, though, now is the time to bring back a new campaign for children on pavement/motorway drill.

Re: Children Killed on M56
 

That's what I think too, Bernadette. I was more disgusted with the father's attitude, he was mainly concerned with himself, in his position I'd be prostrate with grief and guilt. I don't believe in wrapping children up in cotton wool but there are limits.

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Yes but you or I would never be in the same position. To let a child of that age play out all afternoon is beyond my comprehension but allowed to play out they were and now their lifes have been snuffed out.

Re: Children Killed on M56
 

I'm sorry Westender, but how do you know how you would react in such terrible circumstances .. he is in shock after all, and may be things are intepretated incorrectly, only a few hours since this tradegy happened.
Don't be too quick to judge.

Re: Children Killed on M56
 

we are all guilty of being too quick to judge Kate, especially me, but it is a fact that those little one's should of been supervised xx

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What a terrible tragedy for all involved, the kids, parents and the poor car driver. Imagine how s/he must be feeling after hitting 2 kids at motorway speed.

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Kate, do you remember Bobby Beacon? I may be doing you a disservice by assuming you're near my age, if so I'm sorry. Police constables used to go to schools and give a talk about road safety with the aid of this Belisha Beacon-type puppet. The trouble is children never think it really applies to them. At the age of 6 you see a gap in the traffic, you want to go home so you run for it. There are no zebra crossings on the motorway and you have no idea how far a car can travel in a few seconds.

I do agree, children need re-educating about road safety but I don't think a warning from dad, at the age of 6, is enough to let a child play out in an unsafe environment.

Re: Children Killed on M56
 

Aleks, do you have children?? because you seem to know nothing about them... children at this age will not listen, they will forget what they have been told no matter how many times they have been told especially when they have other things on their mind.. they should not have been on their own!! it is NOT their fault it is the care givers (or not, in this case) fault for not providing the proper amount of care!!!! i can remember crossing the train tracks in colne when i was late and i knoew my dad would go mental and i remember my friends doing it as teenagers... THEY should have know better.. I am disgusted at the lack of compassion shown.. they were children!!

Re: Children Killed on M56
 

I know Flashy agree .. but don't think we can condemn the father's attitude just now.

Westender: Am 64 and do remember Bobby Beacon .. but as said before, times have changed, and think, like you, a new campaign with regard to the new structure of roads, speeds cars travel at is now essential for the children of today.

It worked before with the Green Cross code, no reason why it shouldn't help with ............... ? Lots of more clever people out there than me who would fill in this blank.

Re: Children Killed on M56
 

Perhaps I do judge the father too harshly but I couldn't stand in front of a TV camera and say, "It was just a tragic accident" if I had been in charge of this child who was allowed out, alone, without any checks on where he was for several hours. The parents of the 7 year old have said nothing.

Re: Children Killed on M56
 

Get away Kate, you don't look a day over 40.

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she doesnt does she

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Yet again Children are let down by the people who owe a responsibility for thier safekeeping...

Dare I mention Mcanns?

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The bloke I heard on the news yesterday was not the father of the two lads. Apparently the lads were living with a bloke who was looking after them for the parents (or the Mother in particular, as the Father wasn't mentioned). He apologised to the Mother and said he'd done his best to look after them.

There are so many things wrong with this tragic tale and the people claiming that they have no sympathy are obviously trolling. Shame really. :rolleyes:

Re: Children Killed on M56
 

tragic!!
those poor kids, but i cant help thinking what a 6 and 7 year old are doing outside in the dark near a motorway!!
my son is 6 and hes not allowed off the street, never mind wondering about, and thats during the day, at night he as to be in as soon as it gets dark!

Re: Children Killed on M56
 

such a waste... I have to agree its the parents that are the total idiots here... and should be prosecuted, it is wrong for a six year old child to be kicked out on the streets to play alone...
The little one had been out all day by the look of it... but hey the daddy's got some happy pills now and no doubt another child will soon replace the one he's lost:

Why do people like this have children:

Re: Children Killed on M56
 

Alright flower. No no compassion from me love, not for this case anyhow. Nah dont have kids love but you dont need kids to see the fact that it was plain to see that it was just too stupid to attempt it but they still did. Sorry if my opinion gets to you but im not one of the people who says what they thing people like to see or read. I say what i really think.

Re: Children Killed on M56
 

At that age they should have not gone of there door step,but it is a sad loss my thout,s go out to there mum and dad,s

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My point exactly really.

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having young children my self ,i am amazed that parents let children of these ages go wandering with no checks on them.i never let mine out of my site,still its a tradgedy of two young boysand the drivers of the vechicles.my heart goes out to everyone concerned,

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No, that was the 6 year old's dad. He has split from the child's mother and the child had gone to live with him and his other children. I still say the man should never have left a child of that age playing out without supervision. He didn't bother where that child was until 5 o clock and, even then, he said he waited 40 minutes before going to look for him.

Re: Children Killed on M56
 

Ah, my apologies. I was doing other things at the time I heard it on the radio.

A very sad case, whatever the events were that led up to the deaths.

Re: Children Killed on M56
 

another death of a man crossing a motorway