OCALA, Fla. – A toddler was killed Tuesday in Marion County when a TV fell on her, officials said.
The incident was reported at the Sutton Place apartments in Ocala.
A woman and her 21-month-old daughter were sitting on the floor when a 32-inch box-type TV fell from a dresser and onto the girl, according to authorities.
The child was taken to Munroe Regional Medical Center, but later died from her injuries, officials said.
"Ocala is definitely saddened by the events that occurred. The only thing that we can learn from it is how to prevent it," Ocala Fire Rescue spokeswoman Ashley Lopez said.
It's not known what caused the TV, which weighs about 160 pounds, to suddenly fall.
"We definitely want to make sure things like these don't happen because it is a preventable injury," Lopez said.
The medical examiner's office conducted an autopsy Wednesday. Officials said the case is pending the results of toxicology and other tests, which could take up to three months.
News 6 spoke to the child's family members, who described her as a "good baby." They had no explanation as to how this could have happened.
An investigation is continuing.
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Dangers of falling TVs
According to statistics from SafeKids.org, every three weeks a child dies from a television tipping over.
The organization released a study on the dangers of TV tip-overs in 2012 and found that 12,800 children in the U.S. were injured from a TV tipping over onto them in 2011.
“We recommend doing a TV safety check, and if it's an old TV (CRT model), it needs to be out on a low, stable piece of furniture, because those can't be mounted like you can your flat screens,” said Cindy Dennis, with Safe Kids Northeast Florida. “Purchase a strap, and strap the TV to the wall.”
According to the numbers from Safe Kids, seven out of 10 children injured by TV tip-overs are 5 years old or younger.
For perspective, a 36-inch CRT television falling 3 feet creates the same momentum as a 1-year-old child falling 10 stories, according to Safe Kids.
A new study by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission found that of 300 tip-over incidents, 90 percent involved a CRT TV.
For more information on TV tip-over dangers and how to prevent them, go to SafeKids.org. The organization has compiled a tip sheet and an infographic explaining the statistics and produced a video for parents.