Phoenix area boy critically injured after gate falls on him

PHOENIX (AP) -- A 6-year-old boy is in critical condition after an iron gate weighing nearly 200 pounds fell on him in a community north of Phoenix.

The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office says the incident happened around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday while the child was playing at a neighbor's home in Desert Hills near 7th Street and the Carefree Highway.

Witnesses say the boy was opening a large sliding gate at the base of the driveway so the homeowner could drive forward.

As he pulled the gate back, it fell onto him.

Deputy Joaquin Enriquez says the boy suffered serious head trauma and was air-lifted to Phoenix Children's Hospital.

The incident remains under investigation, but Enriquez says it appears to be an accident.

Desert Hills is about 30 miles north of downtown Phoenix.