Authorities are investigating the death of a 23-month-old child in what is being called a "terrible accident," according to the Stark County Coroner's Office.
Just after 10 p.m. on Nov. 15, EMS responded to the 1100 block of Highland Avenue in Canton after receiving a call regarding an oven that had toppled over onto a toddler.
Officials said it appears the child may have climbed onto the oven door, causing the appliance to tip over on him.
The toddler was taken to a nearby hospital but later succumbed to his injuries.
A preliminary investigation shows no signs of foul play and the death is being investigated as a "terrible accident," a coroner's spokesperson said.
Unfortunately, this is not uncommon. Furniture company IKEA recalled millions of dressers after eight children were killed when the dresser toppled onto them.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission looked at tip-over fatalities from 2000 to 2015. Of nearly 500 people killed in the 15 year period, 84% were children, one month to 14 years. Of them, 64% were killed by a falling TV or TV stand, 29% died from falling furniture like a dresser and 7% died from a falling appliance, like an oven.
CPSC launched its “Anchor It” campaign in 2015 to prevent television and furniture tip-overs from killing or seriously injuring children.
The CPSC describes television and furniture tip-overs as one of the top hidden hazards in the home.
