SHENZHEN traffic police are investigating the death of a 3-year-old boy who was hit by an off-road vehicle when it was backing up in a car park in Longhua District, Shenzhen Evening News reported Sunday.

According to a preliminary investigation, the driver surnamed Peng was held accountable for the accident as he didn’t check for hazards before reversing the car.

An in-depth investigation showed that there were many problems in the parking lot where the accident happened. Shenzhen Yicheng Property Management Co. Ltd., the operator of the parking lot, failed to design parking spaces and didn’t perform its duties in accordance with relevant regulations.

The company has been ordered to compensate the family’s loss and was fined 12,000 yuan (US$1,682). According to the traffic police, parental negligence, driver’s blind spots and the inaction of the parking lot operator were the main factors that caused the accident.

Since May, a rise in cases of missing children has also been reported, most of which are related to parental negligence, the News said. In Guangming District alone, 40 such cases have been reported.

“As the coronavirus outbreak is brought under control, many parents have relaxed the supervision of their children,” said Jiang Lei, a police officer.

It is suggested that if a child is believed to be missing, parents should call 110 or report to the nearest police station in a timely manner. Moreover, children should be familiar with their home address and their parents’ contact information, which can play a key role in the resolution of such cases. (Zhang Yu)