BABY BURNS TO DEATH AFTER BEING PLACED ON COOKER THAT SWITCH
Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 9:49 am
Baby in car seat burns to death after being placed on cooker that switched itself on
By Mail Foreign Service
05th April 2010
A five-month-old baby burned to death after being placed on top of a cooker that accidentally switched itself on.
Chase Finch was asleep in his car seat when he was placed on top of the electric cooker's glass top surface.
While the two adults in the house in Newton, Iowa, chatted outside, one of the burners switched on and set the plastic car seat on fire.
The child burned to death within minutes.
The horrific details of the accident were revealed by U.S. authorities after they said no charges will be brought against the adults looking after the baby.
An eight-month investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives determined that the control for the cooker knob could have been bumped into the 'on' position by the car seat being placed on top of the cooker.
Many American cookers have the controls on a panel at the back of the burner, while most in the UK have front mounted controls.
The tragedy occurred last August when Jason Barton, 29, brought the baby back to his home.
He had been asked to look after the newborn boy by his ex-wife Bonnie Barton,27.
He placed the baby on top of the cooker as there was a dog in the house and didn't want the animal bothering the sleeping baby.
Barton went outside to chat with his friend Brandon Avila.
Avila told investigators: 'Jason looked up at the window and saw that the blind had fell. We kind thought the dog had did it or something, and then I saw it had completely fell, and I'm like, "Oh my God."
'Jason bolted toward the door, went inside and when he came back out, the smoke just came rolling out.
'He was freaking out, saying, "The baby! The baby! The baby! There's fire! The baby's on fire!"'
Forensic experts recreated an exact model of the kitchen using the same cooker to see what would happen when they placed a similar car seat on its top.
When placing the infant seat there, investigators discovered that the knob that controlled the left rear burner could be bumped into the on position.
They also simulated a rocking motion similar to movement by a child in the car seat and that motion also caused the knob on the left rear burner to turn on.
Investigators determined that contact between the seat and knob most likely turned on the stove and that once the seat was in place, it completely obscured the knob and all indicator lights, which could have provided a clue that the burner was on.
The recreation of the fire revealed that the seat took five minutes to become completely engulfed in flames.
In announcing no charges would be filed in the case, police described the baby's death as 'an unfortunate accident'.
By Mail Foreign Service
05th April 2010
A five-month-old baby burned to death after being placed on top of a cooker that accidentally switched itself on.
Chase Finch was asleep in his car seat when he was placed on top of the electric cooker's glass top surface.
While the two adults in the house in Newton, Iowa, chatted outside, one of the burners switched on and set the plastic car seat on fire.
The child burned to death within minutes.
The horrific details of the accident were revealed by U.S. authorities after they said no charges will be brought against the adults looking after the baby.
An eight-month investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives determined that the control for the cooker knob could have been bumped into the 'on' position by the car seat being placed on top of the cooker.
Many American cookers have the controls on a panel at the back of the burner, while most in the UK have front mounted controls.
The tragedy occurred last August when Jason Barton, 29, brought the baby back to his home.
He had been asked to look after the newborn boy by his ex-wife Bonnie Barton,27.
He placed the baby on top of the cooker as there was a dog in the house and didn't want the animal bothering the sleeping baby.
Barton went outside to chat with his friend Brandon Avila.
Avila told investigators: 'Jason looked up at the window and saw that the blind had fell. We kind thought the dog had did it or something, and then I saw it had completely fell, and I'm like, "Oh my God."
'Jason bolted toward the door, went inside and when he came back out, the smoke just came rolling out.
'He was freaking out, saying, "The baby! The baby! The baby! There's fire! The baby's on fire!"'
Forensic experts recreated an exact model of the kitchen using the same cooker to see what would happen when they placed a similar car seat on its top.
When placing the infant seat there, investigators discovered that the knob that controlled the left rear burner could be bumped into the on position.
They also simulated a rocking motion similar to movement by a child in the car seat and that motion also caused the knob on the left rear burner to turn on.
Investigators determined that contact between the seat and knob most likely turned on the stove and that once the seat was in place, it completely obscured the knob and all indicator lights, which could have provided a clue that the burner was on.
The recreation of the fire revealed that the seat took five minutes to become completely engulfed in flames.
In announcing no charges would be filed in the case, police described the baby's death as 'an unfortunate accident'.
