Common sense -- and laws in some places -- tell us that small children shouldn't be left in cars alone. Ever. Not just this once, or just for "a sec" It only takes a few minutes for things to go terribly wrong, and a recent close call in Orem, Utah, illustrates one of the reasons why.
Last week, Gail Belliston was walking out of a store when she heard a child screaming from a car. According to the Deseret News, the child was terrified and sweating profusely, so after a few minutes of seeing no one coming for the kid, Belliston pulled her out. Thank goodness she did too, because testing showed the temperature in the car had reached 110 degrees.
Police were called, but the mom didn't show up until 20 minutes after they arrived.
The woman said she'd just gone inside to use the restroom and that her daughter was sleeping so she didn't want to wake her up. But police say the girl was left alone at least 25 minutes, so it's pretty easy to deduce that she did some shopping or something else too.
Regardless of what she was doing, there's no excuse for what she did. It was reportedly around 88 degrees outside, but temperatures rise rapidly inside a closed car. If Belliston hadn't intervened, who knows how long the little girl would have survived.
Even more concerning is that the mother was only issued a ticket for a misdemeanor, but the girl was sent home with her.
Fortunately, this story had a somewhat happy ending, despite the fear I have for this girl being in the custody of someone who would be so reckless with her safety. But there are plenty of other instances in which there isn't a heroic stranger passing by to save a child.
Already this year, four children have died from hyperthermia after being left in a car in the United States, according to Jan Null, with San Francisco State University's Department of Geosciences. In 2011, 33 children died as a result of it.
So while leaving a child in a car alone is never a good idea, it's especially important to remember as temperatures climb higher. It's dangerous, potentially deadly, and nothing is worth the risk.
Do you ever leave your small children in the car alone?
Image via .reid/Flickr
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Comments 89
I don't understand the people making excuses for her. When you have children, you put them first. If she was really in the bathroom that long because she was sick, she should have called a family member. If she just had to use the bathroom, take the child in with you. If she was shopping, TAKE THE CHILD WITH YOU. It doesn't make one bit of sense to me to make excuses for her. It is pretty much common sense that was she did was wrong, but then again, the world seems to be severely lacking in common sense these days and that terrifies me. And NO, dreamsky, I would NEVER, EVER do that as I know what it feels like to sit inside a hot car even with the windows down. It's terrible. I'd never do that to a helpless child.
OK BLOGGERS! Can you PLEASE do me a favour and stop alluding to the constant fact that kids should not have been left in the care of their parents?? Please! I know we all think about it, but really, you have no idea what impact being taken away would have. It's almost as if most people think that, once a child's out of the hands of their neglectful parents, it's all lollipops and unicorns and it's a happily ever after.
Here's an idea for an article: what it's actually like for social workers, the questions they must ask, and the possibilities for the kids, as well as the larger impacts of actually being taken away ;) It would do the world a favour. YES, parents make mistakes, but sometimes you need to give them the structured chance to correct their mistakes instead of ripping a family apart.
My 11 year old begged me to let him stay in the car while I ran into 7-11, a 5 minute stop mind you, and I refused. There's no way I was going to leave him alone in the car while I run in somewhere. Absolutely not! How on earth these people think it's okay to "just run in" I don't get it. I've heard too many horror stories of things happening to children when their parents step away for just a second. You never know who's watching or what could happen. Someone could take the child, take the vehicle with the child in it, something could happen inside the store while you're "just running in" and make you take longer... you never know. better to be inconvenienced and to be safe than sorry.
While I don't understand why she got charged with so little as a ticket, I would hope that she learns her lesson and NEVER does this again. It was incredibly stupid of her, regardless of the situation.
I love when things are reported and the writer makes up a lot of BS.
This happened here where I live and this story is missing A LOT. I am not saying what th emother did was right and I wish she never got ehr child back but please report ALL facts before spilling a buch BS and lies. One she was NOT shopping. TWO it was NOT closed. The window was fully open which is how a great person was able to reach in and grab the little girl.
Yes, parents make mistakes. What's frustrating about this story is leaving a child in a car unattended should never be done. 38 children died in 2010, 14 already this year and it's not even summer yet. These statistics seem meager but they are real and preventable.
An acquaintance's husband left his toddler in a running car with the a/c on to quickly get a water. In the 5 minutes he was gone, someone stole his car. At some point, the thief realized there was a kid in it and left the car on the side of the road. He was missing for an hour. Not worth the water or the anguish.
Life is full of accidents. Terrible things happen all the time, and sometimes people make honest mistakes with drastic consequences. Intentionally leaving a child in a car, however, is one thing parents can avoid, even if it's only for a minute.