3-year-old dies in Falls Church after falling from window

FALLS CHURCH, Va. - A 3-year-old boy died after he fell from a window at a home in Falls Church on Wednesday, according to authorities.

Fairfax County police said the child was playing in a room at a home in the 5700 block of Magnolia Lane at about 12:20 p.m.

Investigators said a window in the room was open and a window screen was in place. The boy leaned on the screen and fell through the window, according to officials.

The child was rushed to the hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries.

An autopsy was being performed to determine the exact cause of death, but detectives said they believe the boy's death was an accident.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, an average of nine children die each year from falling out of windows and 4,200 are injured. There are products such as a window guard that families can buy to prevent these types of accidents.

"You put it on your window, secure it into place and that keeps your child from falling out because you can see it would be covering from where the screen would be open," said Patty Davis, spokesperson for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. "This is secure to the sides of the window and there is no chance that your child could fall out if you have something like this in place."

According to safekids.org, here are some safety tips for parents:

- Keep play areas away from windows
- Keep furniture away from windows in case children climb on them
- Keep windows closed and locked, especially when children are playing