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Boy Dies From Head Injuries Caused By Falling TV

November 17, 2005

A 3-year-old boy climbing an entertainment center died after toppling a 26-inch television that struck his head, police said.

Michael Fetherolf's mother, Melissa Diamond, 25, was home, but Largo police would not say whether she was in the same room with her son when he climbed up the entertainment center and knocked down the television. She called authorities to the family's duplex on 18th Avenue SW at 12:53 p.m. Michael was flown to Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg, where he was pronounced dead at 1:34 p.m., Largo police Capt. Glenn Smith said. An autopsy will be performed. Diamond and Michael's father, Kevin Fetherolf, 24, remained at police headquarters for several hours, speaking with detectives and trauma counselors. They could not be reached for comment.

But a next-door neighbor described Michael as a vibrant child who appeared to be growing up in a caring family. 'He was a good boy, had a lot of energy. He will be missed,' said Amanda Ledet, 24, who regularly babysat for Michael while his mother worked as a waitress and his father as a manager of a fast food restaurant. 'He loved to swim in the pool and play with toy cars.' Ledet said his parents seemed attentive, each day putting him on a school bus that took him to a speech therapist in St. Petersburg. 'It's really sad,' she said. 'I freak out when one of my kids gets a cut, so I couldn't imagine having to deal with this.'

The case was still under investigation, but detectives said it appeared to be an accident and not a crime, Smith said. Police released no other details about what happened. A handful of children in the Tampa Bay area have died under similar circumstances in recent years.

In 1996, a 4-year-old New Port Richey boy died after he pulled his family's new 400-pound entertainment center on top of himself. That same year, an 18-month-old Land O'Lakes boy was killed when a dresser fell on top of him, trapping him and cutting off his oxygen.

Nationwide, about six people die and as many as 10,000 a year are treated for injuries involving tipped-over furniture, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Safety experts recommend attaching angle braces to the top of large pieces of furniture, which secure them to the wall and prevent them from tipping over.

Several hours after the incident, Michael's babysitter said what happened underscores how quickly a tragic accident can take place. 'You turn your head . . .' Ledet said. 'It can happen any time.'