CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - Fewer West Virginia children and teenagers are dying from accidental injuries than in the past.
A new government report shows that in West Virginia the death rate from accidents for youths ages 19 and younger fell 43 percent from 2000 to 2009.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 54 children died from accidents in West Virginia in 2009. That's down from 98 in 2000.
Nationally, the number dropped about 26 percent from 12,441 in 2000 to 9,143 in 2009. The national annual accidental death rate among children fell about 29 percent.
Officials say unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death among youth and are preventable. Those injuries include motor vehicle deaths, suffocation, downing, poisoning, and fires or burns.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
