Baby burned by cigarette in 'freak accident'

DONNA PAGET/Waikato Times

BURNT: Danni Winmill with her son Talyn, who was burned on his right leg after a discarded cigarette butt was flicked into his car seat by a passing motorist.

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A Hamilton baby bears the scars of a discarded cigarette flicked into his car seat by a passing motorist.

Four-month-old Talyn was burned on his right thigh after a a cigarette butt was flicked out of a car window into the open front window of another car and into Talyn's lap. Both rear windows were up.

Talyn's dad, Tom Miers, was driving along Peachgrove Rd two weeks ago when his son started screaming.

"I looked behind me and there was smoke billowing out from him," Mr Miers said, "... I pulled over and put it out. I don't know what with. It's all a blur."

Talyn's mum, Danni Winmill, was at home in Fairfield when Mr Miers came screeching up the driveway. "He was completely freaked out," Ms Winmill said.

The cigarette burned a 10cm-round hole into Talyn's pants and burned his right thigh.

"Luckily he was wearing cotton pants, otherwise it could have been a lot worse."

They put a cold flannel over the burn and rushed Talyn to Waikato Hospital where doctors dressed it. Two weeks on and the burn has not completely healed.

"I have to re-dress it every second day. It should have healed by now, but it hasn't," Ms Winmill said.

She said while the incident was probably a "freak accident", she wanted smokers to be aware of the dangers of chucking cigarette butts out windows.

"The odds of a lit cigarette being flicked out of one car and landing in the lap of a baby in another car is one in a million, but that doesn't make it okay.

"It's not hard to put it out in the car - that's why they have ashtrays. There is no excuse. People are just being lazy.

"I am furious no one can be held accountable and would really appreciate any help in getting this ignorant person to realise what they have done."

Ms Winmill said it was the first time Mr Miers had taken Talyn out by himself.

"He hasn't taken him out since. What happened scared him."

- © Fairfax NZ News