The parents of three-year-old Petey Wartzenberger never thought for a minute that the Big Wheel that they bought on Craigslist for the boy last Christmas would be capable of inflicting harm. It seemed to be the perfect outdoor toy for the Delaware kid. Or so they thought…

The fun turned to tragedy last week when Petey decided to try out the toy on an unusually warm February day and ride it down a hilly sidewalk near his suburban Wilmington home. Petey’s leg became caught in the giant plastic front wheel as he frantically tried to stop the speeding tricycle.

Apparently, the oversized wheel, which picks up virtually every pebble and grain of grit that passes under it, became much like a big grinding wheel, gripping Petey’s leg and abrading it at the same time. Centrifugal force did the rest. It was not a pretty sight.

“Petey was cruisin’…faster and faster,” said Chad, Petey’s 8 year-old brother. “His right leg got caught by the wheel. It went round and round and wouldn’t stop. I’ve never seen a knee bend backward like that before! Kinda cool, really.”

A neighbor who heard the screaming ran out to help and call an ambulance. Petey was rushed to an area hospital, where he is in stable condition, with pulled ligaments and lacerations and abrasions on his leg.

Christine Wartzenberger, Petey’s mother, was visibly upset as she paced about in the hospital lobby. “This is absolutely horrible,” said Wilson, the nervous apprehension clearly visible on her face. “Petey’s been kind of an unlucky kid. He’s fallen down the stairs a couple times and tripped over his shoelaces more times than I care to remember. He’s always getting bumps and bruises. Then there was the Jarts incident last fall. We make him wear a helmet now when he goes outside.”

Child safety experts say the Big Wheel has long been considered quite safe, with surprisingly few mishaps.

“You really have to try to get hurt on one of those,” said Melissa Highstreet, product testing engineer for Consumer Union. “Those things have been around since the ’70s with few reported injuries. But it’s like the million monkey theory. Give these to enough kids and it’s just a matter of time before one of them performs something stupid with it.”

“You can only do so much to protect your children,” sighed Wartzenberger, after learning from doctors that little Petey will fully recover from his injuries. “He’s got a unique talent. What more can we do for our klutzy little fellow?”

Calls to the manufacturer of the Big Wheel were unsuccessful, as the company had apparently folded several years ago.