NBC 10 PHILADELPHIA – A 7-year-old girl and four other children were riding their bikes and scooters when they approached a neighbor and asked him if he could give them a ride in the back of his white 1996 Subaru truck, investigators said.
Officials said Andres Marin, 48, of Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania had taken neighborhood children for rides in his truck on other occasions. The five children got into the bed of the truck, which has sidewalls that are only 11.5 inches tall, according to investigators.
Marin drove the children around the neighborhood when the 7-year-old girl leaned over the sidewall, fell, struck her head on the pavement and was run over by the truck, investigators said.
An autopsy revealed the girl died from blunt impact injuries and her death was ruled a homicide.
“This activity by the defendant was illegal, it was dangerous, and he should have known that it was just a matter of time until one of these ‘fun’ rides ended tragically.” – Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele
Marin turned himself in on Tuesday and was arraigned. His bail was set at $50,000 …
Restrictions on riding in pickup beds
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety – Pickup beds are not designed for people and offer no protection in a crash, yet most states allow adults to ride there.
This material has been prepared for general information purposes only. It is not guaranteed to be current and should be independently verified. Do not rely on it when considering how a law may apply to your circumstances.
RESTRICTION ON RIDING IN CARGO AREAS APPLY IN THESE STATES:
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Kansas
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Virginia
- Wisconsin
Other states have no laws governing the practice at this time. For full details about who is covered, see the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) website.
