Dustin's Dinosaurs Welcome You
We are Dustin's Dinosaurs. Dustin is our good friend and we played with him all the time. Dustin knew all of our names from Brachiosaurus to Tyrannosaurus. He took us everywhere he went. We played with him at the playground, in his room and he even took us with him when he had his bath. But one day we had to go to the hospital with him. We sat at the foot of his bed while we watched his doctors, family and friends. We didn't like this day because we had to say goodbye to our very good friend and playmate. We could not go with Dustin this time because he was going to a very special place called Heaven. We know we must stay here to tell everyone about our good friend and to tell everyone that it is very important that little boys and girls be in child safety seats when they ride in their cars. The dinosaurs want to encourage you to tell your friends and family to be sure to have their car seats checked. We miss our friend Dustin very much and wish he were here today to play with us.
We are ....Dustin's Dinosaurs
Dustin's Story
Four and a half year old Dustin Edwards was traveling in a mini-van with his mother, step-father and four year old step-brother, when the mini-van crossed the center line, crashing into an oncoming utility size van. This crash killed all members of the family.
Dustin suffered from severe trauma to his head and died three days later at Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock. Dustin and his step-brother were only wearing a lapbelt (which was within the age and weight limit of the state law at the time). If Dustin and his step-brother would have been in booster seats with seatbelts that had shoulder harnesses, their chances of survival would have greatly increased. Many children Dustin's age are graduated to a seatbelt before they are physically big enough to wear seatbelts that are actually made for adults.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 668 children (under age 5) died in motor vehicle crashes in 2001 - the year Dustin and his step-brother died. Dustin's family don't want any other children to become a statistic like Dustin and his step-brother.
Did You Know?
In Loving Memory of
Dustin Tyler Edwards
October 1996 - February 2001
You can contact Dustin's Father, Chris Edwards, via email.
chris.edwards@crimelab.arkansas.gov
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