Received Friday, August 22, 2008.
UPDATE:
Video and Tape of 911 call
Family no longer blames Daycare Provider
A mother, whose 11-month-old daughter died Wednesday when she left the child in her car while she worked, told police she couldn’t believe her day care provider didn’t call and ask where the infant was, the coroner said today.
That was one of Jodie Edwards’ first comments after finding baby Jenna dead in her car in the parking lot of Cincinnati Christian University Wednesday afternoon, a day when the temperature outside hit 90 degrees, Hamilton County Coroner Dr. O’dell Owens said.
Can Baby Car Seat Alarms Prevent Disaster?
A company called Baby Alert has invented a $50 alarm called the "Child Minder" ...that tells you if you leave a child behind. (more)
Why does this keep happening? Your thoughts?
I just was a post on another site that mentioned a car seat alarm that would help with this. maybe more people need ot get them. Seems to happen so much with babies who can't talk yet too! I just don't get how you can "forget" your child!
ReplyDeletethis is totally OUTRAGEOUS. She leaves her daughter in the car, and it's the babysitters fault? Now I've heard everything.
ReplyDeleteMy heart is breaking for that poor little girl.
Agreed that this is so not the childcare provider's fault. Grief makes us think crazy thoughts. Such a sad story. :(
ReplyDeleteI just cannot imagine forgetting my child in the car. I just can never ever ever imagine. The only excuse I can think of is just cruelty or mental illness. I just cannot see how a normal adult would do this. :(
These people shouldn't be allowed to procreate.
ReplyDeleteI can actually see how it happens when the child is not a part of the parents everyday activities. All it takes is forgetting to drop them off at daycare(although, how does one do that? I suppose if the mom and dad take turns it might be possible...otherwise stopping at daycare would be a routine part of the commute and impossible to forget.)
ReplyDeleteMy friends and I used to joke that that could never happen to us because the first time we went to use the bathroom and nobody cried outside the door, or inisited to sit on our laps, all kids of alarm bells would instantly go off in our heads.
Car seat alarms must happen (do they have them yet?) And they must be mandatory. And if they are not used and a child dies, the parents need to be prosecuted ofr murder...and actually serve time. There needs to be some HUGE deterrnet to stop this from happening! Even though I can see how this might accidentally happen, there is still no acceptable excuse for a child to die this way. NONE!
Haven't you ever had a really important project due only to get to school and realized you left it on your desk? Made a sandwhich and then left it on the counter? Forgot your purse at the market? I know I have. I have also drove such a long distance that I forgot my dog was snoozing in the back seat until I stopped and she popped her head up. If someone is not used to bringing their kid to daycare or just having a really rough day, this could totally happen. Haven't you ever driven by your exit because you were so deep in thought? Don't be so judgmental to think it would NEVER happen to you. Worry that it could and start checking your backseat every time you get out of the car just in case.
ReplyDeleteI know it seems unreal that anybody would forget their child in the carseat, but it happens. Several years ago one extremely concientious co-worker got to work 15 minutes late because as she was pulling into the parking garage for the first time, she was horrified to notice that her son was still in his carseat, quietly asleep. She immediately turned around and took him to daycare and spent the rest of the day completely freaked out about the whole thing. There was nothing malicious about it, just a case of a sleep deprived mom mom with a lot on her mind.
ReplyDeleteLet's don't jump on the mom for "blaming the babysitter." That comment was likely just one of many things that came out of her mouth as she was dealing with the initial shock of the situation. She'll live in her own private hell for the rest of her life, the last thing she needs is criticism from strangers for a remark taken out of context.
yes, lisa, as I mentioned, grief makes us think crazy thoughts. I understand, how in grief, the mother blamed the babysitter, who is in fact blameless.
ReplyDeleteAs far as forgetting your child in the car, I'm sorry but I just cannot understand how someone could do that. I also cannot understand how anyone would forget their pet in the car either. A dog or a child are not homework or a sandwich. I just cannot bend on this. I do not, however, think anyone, including the woman in this story, deserves to have their child die. But if they are irresponsible enough to forget their child in a locked car buckled into a car seat, they should be held accountable in some way. It is tragic that they way they, these irresponsible people, end up paying is by their child's (or pet's) death.
Mom said, "I can actually see how it happens when the child is not a part of the parents everyday activities."
ReplyDeleteare you crazy, mom!! that is the dumbest thing i've ever read on here.
I not sure why it happens, but I can tell you why it happens with daycare providers-they don't take their job seriously and lack common sense. From the daycare standpoint and having had worked at centers where transportation was provided, I, as a van driver/teacher had a checklist that I used, signing every child who got on the van in, meaning, I had to write down what time I picked them up. I then did head counts as the children entered the building, where they were signed in by their teachers. Dropping off the children was the same procedure as in the morning. Everyone read that story I sent to Jane and Mary about the baby that was left in the owner's vehicle, and what I thought was crazy was how the owner "remembered" to bring her grandchildren in the center, but "forgot" the baby. And the other thing I couldn't get over about that story was the aunt of this baby who worked at the center asked to see her nephew and the owner replies, "he won't be attending daycare today." What a joke! I often wonder how people can do this type thing, "forgetting" a child. Surely something inside you would remeember that baby in the vehicle-you carried the child for 9 months, etc. How could you forget something that important?!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you remember the story about the 2 year old left on the daycare van 3 years ago in Milwaukee, and how I worked for those idiots at a different center. I found a picture of that little girl on the Net and I printed it out and framed it, to remind me how important my job is. I would never do this to a child, and don't understand how anyone could.
minneapolis nanny is livid:
ReplyDeleteYou are rude: mom's comment was far from dumb. She is a very intelligent, caring person. I don't happen to see her pov on this issue, but her comment was far from dumb. She is a good person who tries to sympathize and empathize with everyone, including these parents that this happens to. She is a better person than I am, and I am sorry but I do not appreciate your calling her dumb.
You can express your opinion without being nasty.
Lisa,
ReplyDeleteI'll bet "Living Hell" would be a picnic compared to what some of these parents will suffer every day for the rest of their lives. Although I am sick beyond belief for these kids, I do have a lot of sympathy for the parents of SOME of these kids.
There are some whacked out idiots who actually leave kids in the car on purpose, and belong in prison for the rest of their lives...and those, unfortunately, are probably the ones who care so little for their kids in the first place that they are able to get over it. Somewhere today there is a mom who is taking her child for cancer treatment and praying against all odds that her child will live to see his next birthday...and somewhere today a mom or dad will purposely leave their child in a hot car and go into a bar, or to a friends house, or whatever.
The others...the ones who truly make an error...one of GROSS NEGLIGENCE, but nevertheless and error....are the ones who proabbly never get over it. I cannot imagine even wanting to live if something happened to my kids...and that sentiment would be compounded exponentially to an infinite degree if it was because I did something careless. I feel so sorry for parents who fall into this category and have the unthinkable to live with...forever.
These carseat stories and drownings turn my stomach every single time. So preventable!
Thanks for sticking up for me Umass. You and the nasty woman both posted while I was writing.
ReplyDeleteUmass, I cannot imagine personally doing this either...but because my kids are my world. I spent my days with them and so one missing, even for a few moments would be very obvious.
Unfortunately, there are parents who may love thir children, but spend little more time (or thought) with them, on a daily basis than the sandwich or project somebody above mentioned being able to carelessly forget. So the child's presence or absence from their day would not raise any red flags. If,once the dropoff occurs in the morning, a person typically gives their child little to no thought during the day (and I have known parents like that), I can see how, once the dropoff was missed the child could be left in the car all day and nobody notice.
Isn't it so sad that some children are not so important to anybody that they can go missing for an entire day and nobody even notices? Every child deserves to have at least one person who wakes up in the morning and cannot wait to spend the day with them....somebody who misses them enough when they are apart that they at least check in to see how they are.
mom,can I just say"you are one classy lady".
ReplyDeleteYour children are lucky to have you and so is ISYN.
When you express sympathy,it is always heartfelt.
No, I'm sorry. I'm with the commenter above - a CHILD is not a sandwich or homework. No sympathy from me for the parents who allow this to happen by not being vigilant. Sympathy for the baby/child, yes. Sympathy for rest of family, yes. No sympathy for the person who COOKED their BABY in a CAR because they forgot their own child. It amazes me to no end that these people aren't prosecuted.
ReplyDeleteSydney White. Thank you. That is very sweet of you to say.
ReplyDeleteColleen,
You are right. A kid is not comparable with a sandwich or a project. You know that and I know that...but unfortunately a lot of other parents don't seem to. If everybody felt that way, you can bet this would happen FAR less often. But the sad fact is, many parents treat their children as accessories, or weekend amusements...kind of like pets really...and they don't think about them during the day beyond the minor inconvenience of dropping them off in the morning.
I have been ill lately and my mom took my two youngest for 4 days. Can I just tell you how many times while out and about I glanced into my back seat only to have the hair stand up on my neck..." OMG!!I left the girls somehwere!"
ReplyDeleteYou know that kind of sick feeling you get when you stand right up against a window at the Stratosphere in Vegas or the Empire state building and stare down at the ground, that is the feeling I got..just for the first few seconds..
...Silly, I know and it is within that 2 seconds that I think to myself," idiot, they are at Golden grams!"
I cannot imagine leaving one of my kids in the car to die, nor can I imagine the pain of living with doing so.
My heart goes out to any parent responsible for the accidental death of their child and the visual that Dr.O'dell left me with, regarding how this sweet little 11 month died, will haunt me for a long time.
I will say, Jodie Edwards came off as very cool and calm to me. Referring to her child in the past tense was odd and the phrase, "how could I do this, Oh gosh" just sat funny with me.
It is truly a tragedy!
Lisa said:
ReplyDelete"Let's don't jump on the mom for blaming the babysitter."
"the last thing she needs is criticism from strangers for a remark taken out of context.
Wrong, Lisa. Let's DO jump on Mom for blaming the babysitter. Because it's nobody's fault but hers. She needs to accept FULL responsiblity for her actions, and take every bit of criticism she gets. She deserves it!
This mother is truly a pathetic species. How can you forget your young child? All she wants to do is cast blame and not take responsiblity and I find that outrageous.
ReplyDeleteShe needs to be punished, and suffer just as her poor child was made to suffer.
I just can't imagine...
SJME..everyone reacts differently when faced with crisis.The unexpected death of a child often sends Many looking for someone to blame. It is natural. Perhaps that is what led to this statement. I too found it disturbing, but until you are holding your dead child in your arms, none of us knows what we might say.Just a thought
ReplyDeleteshe's just making excuses:
ReplyDeleteI don't think it is for us to decide what other people deserve and do not deserve. I don't know this woman. As I said before, I know I would never do this. I just know I would not. But I do think this mother probably said that about the chidcare provider out of grief.
I would venture to guess that losing her baby is punishment enough, but that is just my opinion.
I'm sorry, but there is NO, i repeat, no excuse for leaving a child unattended in a car. and those who do, do not deserve to have children in their care. period. children cannot take care of them selves, and it is an adults responsibility to take care of them. if you are so distracted, or absent minded to forget your CHILD in a car, use birth control and dont have a kid.
ReplyDeletei have no sympathy for someone whose child dies because of their neglagance.
ok end of rant.
Well, let me just say this. I have found enough times in life that when I have harshly judged somebody else's behavior...especially with the "I would NEVER" claim...God sort of finds a way to put me into a position where I can actually understand what led them to whatever thing it was that they did. I don't like that...'cause a lot of times what happens to get me there has been either scary, or very humbling. So....when I hear about something like this, I first try to imagine HOW a loving mom could possible EVER find herself in that situation before I crucify her in my mind.
ReplyDeleteI do believe that otherwise good people can sometimes end up in situations they would NEVER have thought possible. It doesn't in any way excuse what they did...but there has to be some room for forgiveness just in case something is truly a mistake and totally out of character for the individual concerned.
Some parents who do this I think ought to pay in jail forever. Some others will pay by way of personal suffering far more than anything we as a society could ever think to do to them.
It sounds like some of you may have seen a video of this woman explaining what happened. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words...so oyu may have a better idea than me of her general attitude. (Although people are right that we do not act normally in times of extreme grief.) All I know of her situation is what I read here.
mom,
ReplyDeleteI totally get where you are comming from, and most of the time i agree, and tend to try to see situations from other people's point of view and understand their circumstances. that being said, there are some things that are just inexcuseable and un forgiveable. and i belive that letting your innocent child cook inside of a car is one of them.
there is just no excuse. no explination that can justify. she let her child cook in a hot car. im sure she will suffer for the rest of her life, and i think she should do it from jail. if i accidently ran a kid over in my car cause i was not paying attention, i would probaly spend some time in jail. she left her kid in a car. she wasnt paying attention ad her child died. that is her fault and there is no excuse.
ps i havent seen the video, and i dont need to to have this opinion. anyone whose gross neglagence leads to the death of a child should be punished by the law.
especially if they cook a kid in a hot car.
Monica,
ReplyDeleteI understand. There are certain things (like murder...and even some things far less heinous than that) that I don't think I might ever be able to find any way to understand or find any compassion for the perpetrator.
Thinking of a child suffering as they do when they die this way (I too live with the memory of DR. Ulene's description of what the child endures and it is unthinkably torturopus for the child)makes it hard to forgive the person responsible, I know. I totally get and understand that not everybody can get there...and that is OK. This is a terrible thing. And don't get me wrong...I am not excusing anybody for this. I am just saying I can see how somebody who is not a monstrous beast could find themselves in this situation.
Personally (and I will take a lot of heat for this) I think the trend in our society for so many people to have children and choose not to raise them themselves (Nopt out of necessity, but because they don't feel like it) is the root of a lot of this.
I get how people think this could NEVER happen to them, and don't understand how anybody could make this mistake. But the people who feel this way are largely moms who are so invested in their children's lives that they would notice if they were gone for a moment. I don't think it could happen to most of those moms. Maybe a lot of those are also younger than me and have not watched so many people raise kids from babies to adults as I have. I have seen a lot of good and bad parenting over the 22 years I have been absorbed in raising kids. I have seen far, far, far too many kids raised in a daycare room that didn't need to be...just because their parents felt they were too important to raise their own kids. YOu know how I know my kid would have never been left on a daycare van? Cause I didn't leave them there...even when we could have really used the extra money form me working. We found a way to live on what we had...and it was worth it. I know some people don't have a choice...but I am grateful that I did.
mom,
ReplyDeleteyou seem like an amazing person and i appalud you for that! i agree that there are not enough parents like yourself. I find raising a child one of the most important and challangeing adventures one can embark on. i agree that way to many people enter into it to lighlty, and that is a major problem and the children are the ones suffering. i wish that procreating required more that just an evening of sex!
but you seem awesome and i am in awe of your kind forgiving nature. I tend to be a little harder on folks :)
have a fantastic weekend. i am sure you will have a fun filled weekend with your kids!
I think this happens because we live in a c razy world and have forgotten what is truly important. We forget our childrens plays, our spouses anniversary, to put flowers on someone beloveds grave... All because we have forgotten what is truly important, our lives, family and children.
ReplyDeleteSo next time you answer your phone while having dinner with the people you haven't seen all day or next time you forget your kid in the backseat because you are late for work or whatever the reason is. Ask yourself, am I forgetting something?
I CAN see how someone forgets a child because I've seen it happen. My mother was watching my 2 year old cousin and came to pick me up from babysitting a friend of hers. My mom got out but still left "D" in the car. She stood in front of the van and talked to her friend for awhile and then her friend invited her in for a drink of water. She left "D" in the car when she went inside, 10 min later she remembered him and ran outside. Thankfully he was perfectly fine. But I do see how things can happen, if you change your routine it can happen or if you get distracted.
ReplyDeleteNow I am a nanny and a mom but I lucked out and had last week off. I'm used to unlocking my car door, walking to the opposite side back door and getting "R" out before walking over to get my son out. All last week anytime I went anywhere I still walked over to "R's" side of the car to get her out and usually opened the door before laughing at myself because she wasn't there. That was routine for me. I was used to doing that each and every time I got out of the car.
Now if you guys click on the post you will see the mom usually dropped off both children at the same daycare but had recently enrolled one in another one. She dropped off the older one but forgot to drop off the baby. I am not defending her comment aimed at the daycare but like I said I can see how if you change up your routine you can forget your child. Again I've seen it happen
not using my name:
ReplyDeleteYes, you have seen it happen. What does that prove? Yes, it happens we all know this. What is your point? Your mom is a dumbass.
And see THAT is why I wasn't using my name, your comment is way out of line. What a sorry pos you are and so are you...
ReplyDeleteOh.my.God! This mom acts like she is ordering a damn pizza in that 911 call!! No inflection in her voice whatsoever to show that her baby JUST DIED!!
ReplyDelete911: Where's the baby?
Mom: IT'S in the car in the parking lot.
WHAT??!! IT'S?!
911: Did you get her out of the car?
Mom: No.
911: Get her out of the car!!
This mom is some piece of work.
uesmom,
ReplyDeleteI just listened to it myself and I wish to God I hadn't. :( how chilling and awful, just so so horrible.
Whether it was said in the moment or not, this mom blaming the child care provider is so wrong, but if you listen to the 911 tape, she seems cool as a cucumber. It's almost chilling, just like umass said.
ReplyDeleteShe probably "took it back" because she knew what an ass she looked like blaming someone else for her behavior.
I just listened too. Wish I hadn't. My son, who overheard said he wishes he hadn't either. What an incredible tragedy. Hard to tell if the mom is cold hearted or just in complete shock and all emotion shut down as a result.
ReplyDeleteEverybody who still has kids, please go hug them right now.
Disturbing.
ReplyDeleteI hope every parent here that reads this will make it a habit to always check the back seat.
The links inside this car seat alarm are very helpful. I took a look at several, and it shows how everyday mistakes can turn into disaster. Check it out. Maybe we'll all better learn how to protect our children.
Mom, thanks for the insightful posts.
ReplyDeleteHow dangerous to claim: this will never happen to me!
I agree that if you are a mother whose life revolves around your kids, such a tragedy is maybe less likely to happen. But sometimes other things take over: a much needed, stressful job, the illness of a parent, a family conflict. I also agree with not using my name, a sudden change in the routine can wreak havoc in crowded lives.
I
First Off let me say I don't care how much Shit I get for this posting...
ReplyDeleteYOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!!!! I just listened to this stupid mothers 911 call...she might as well be ordering a PIZZA!! SO calm, so relaxed, WALKING>>>WALKING back out to her car!!! WALKING??? "I am about 20 feet to the car...la dee da...almost there....WTF!!! WTF!!! This women did this on purpose!! What kinda mom who makes an honest mistake doesn't sound like this...
911 what is your emergency?
(what operators hear)
AAAAABHJFBIWKSBDYFIBWOSDBIUDHIXNINI
BBUGBYBEWBUIDBNIDHHS (sobbing) IUHIUHEJFIHFDEIOH (screaming) IUHFEFHEOFOIFHO(cussing)jbifgihfihwihfis(praying)kjkfvbiuhfohwsk!!!!!!!
what mother who cares...doesnt remove the baby, try their damnest to do anything and everything they can think of!!! Who WALKS back to the van after getting a phone!!! I wouldn't HAVE to get a phone...the whole f*ing building would think either a bomb went off or an elephant died in the parking lot from the screaming that would be coming from me...Who the hell says "I havent touched her ,but they did and they say shes gone" in a calm not concerned way!! I would be screaming for the operator to tell me what to do, screaming for her to get the paramedics to get there faster! She DID nothing!!! And she shows NO emotion! This was planned. This B*tch needs jail time!!!
Amen, mimi! My thoughts exactly!
ReplyDeleteI said several posts up myself that she sounded like she was ordering a pizza!! and she does!
I am so angry, but like you, I don't care what others have to say about it. I am ALLOWED to be angry!
what do you all think: should she be charged with involuntary manslaughter? my husband and I were just discussing it.
ReplyDeleteAs I said before, I know the guilt will haunt her, but what about justice for the other people in Jenna's life who are suffering? The mom is not the only one who is suffering a loss: what about Jenna's brother, her father, her grandparents, her aunts, uncles, cousins, teachers? What about justice for them? Justice for little Jenna?
I am just wondering how people feel. What a horrible thing to have happen, but her negligence did result in her daughter's death. I sort of think she should be charged. :( I hate to say it, but I really do. I think we as a society need to say, "this is not ok under any circumstances." The coroners report has me in tears.
If you click on the site about the car seat beeper there is another site called kids and cars or something about car safety. Excellent section on there about power windows. I never realized how dangerous they are. They can cut a cucumber in half!
ReplyDeleteI am a childcare provider and I have had several parents over the years who don't show up and don't call. They act annoyed when I insist that they call and let me know when they are not going to be there or when I call to ask where they are. Stories like this make it that much more important to me that I know why a child is gone!
ReplyDeleteWhen my daughter was younger (she is 2 now and VERY vocal), I made a point to place my purse on the floor in front of the car seat. That way I had to open her door to get it and thus would immediately know if she was there. I don't think I would forget her but I wanted to make absolutely sure!
I have to agree ladies, the 911 call chilled me to the bone as well! I think I was actually tearing up more than this mother *seemed* to be. I don't like to judge, so I'd like to believe she was just in total shock, yet I still can't help but feel completely horrified and confused by this situation happening yet AGAIN-and the mothers seemingly odd reaction to such a tragic event. I don't have kids yet, but I do have a dog (ha ha, that quite possibly sounds like the most ignorant statement in the world-let me continue LOL) my dog is a frequent rider in my car, he's small, sleeps a lot, rides in the back seat and doesn't tend to kick up a fuss, however I've never forgotten he was there. I watch my niece about once a month as well (not a regular routine, just whenever needed) and have never managed to forget her as well. I just don't understand how you can forget someone you love is there??? I'm a very family oriented person and first on my mind is always family, second is career (even though I'm a recent graduate and absolutely thrilled to have just landed my dream job.) I won't say this could never happen to me, or any of us for that matter (knock, knock, knock on wood) BUT I will say I DON'T understand how it's happening so frequently, and I don't understand how a mother can forget her child is in the car...especially with all the "reminders" the news reports have been giving us as of late regarding NOT leaving any living being in a hot car (including pets!) I think someone needs to research this phenomenon. How are so many innocent babies and toddlers getting left behind in cars to die, by supposedly caring parents? I'm truly saddened, and extremely baffled.
ReplyDeletei just heard the 911 call.
ReplyDeletei believe the mother was in terrible shock, not at all like she was "ordering a pizza"
i believe she made a terrible mistake and forgot she left her baby in the car.
sometimes, especially, even the most brilliant professor with a phd lacks basic common sense. that combined with a new routine, lack of sleep, and a busy mind....I can see how it could happen.
one day i was so tired i went into work with my keys in the ignition and the car running all day. it could happen.
it's just a tradgedy and there must be a way to prevent this from ever happening again.
Umass,
ReplyDeleteI asked my husband and daughter what they thought ought to happen with this mother (and I was very careful to try to present the facts without my opinion showing through.) My husband says he sees how it might happen by accident that a child is left in a car all day long, but that it is so grossly negligent that the parent ought to be prosecuted most of the time. (He was a little more soft on the question of prosecuting a dad who might be asked to drive a child to daycare, completely out of his normal routine, and forgot the child was in the car because it was out of his routine.)
My daughter was compeletly appalled by the entire situation and says, accident or not, the mother needs to be prosecuted because when a mom is responsible for a defenseless baby who cannot get out of a carseat, let alone a car, it is her responsibility to remember to take it out of the car no matter what.(That's pretty near a direct quote.)
I also think that the vast majority of the time it is appropriate to prosecute because of the seriousness of the consequences. But I do still think that each case should be handled individually and a determination be made based on each individual situation.
I am very intersted to see how this story unfolds. I do admit tht for a split second, while listening to the 911 call I had the horrible thought (which I bring up only because somebody else said they had the same feeling), "Oh my gosh. Could she have possibly done this ON PURPOSE?!" Or maybe the baby somehow died some other way and was left in the car all day to cover up for that original crime? Something does not seem right here, but I would like to hear what the investigators find out.
sad girl, you must've listened to a different 911 tape than all of us did.
ReplyDeleteThere's a hell of a difference in leaving your keys in your car and a baby! Good God.
Mom
ReplyDeleteDid you notice the link about baby carseat alarms? Weren't you the one asking about something like that?
UESmom I just looked at it. They have something as simple as a plastic springy cord that attaches to the car keys and stretches back to attach to the baby seat! A person could just make something like that with a piece of string for about two cents. Tie your key ring to the baby seat every time you put the baby in the seat and PRESTO, no more accidental dead babies in hot cars.
ReplyDeleteAnd they have a very sophisiticated system, designed at NASA, that detects the weight of a bay in a carseat, with a sensitivity of 8 ounces I think it said. The beeper goes on the ring with the car keys. If the parent leaves the vicinity of the car without removing the weight from the carseat the alarm will sound loudly...and can only be deactivated by returning to the carseat to do so. Brilliant.
Now we need to publicize that these devices are available so that there is not a person in America (or hopefully, the world) who is ignorant of their existence...and then prosecute the hell out of anybody who leaves a baby in a car...because there will be no reason whatsoever for anybody to have an accident of this kind ever again.
We had a case here in Las Vegas a few years ago where both parents worked in the same building and they BOTH forgot to take their child to daycare and he died in the heat in their car. (Can't remember why, maybe a new daycare or something). It was never said but my theory was that for both parents to forget, they were probably arguing.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, most states look at intent in these cases and don't prosecute, but some do, under child neglect laws. If these cases keep happening, I think more states will/should adopt these laws.
This is just unspeakably sad. It reminded me of the case, which I'm not sure if I saw here, where a somewhat older child was left behind, and got himself OUT of his car seat but was locked IN the car from the inside, and died. I don't see how auto manufacturers can even be allowed to make a vehicle that way without having the S**T sued out of them. Anyone could commit a murder by simply putting someone inside a car and locking the doors from the outside. Voila, no escape possible, unless the person inside can break out a window. But WHAT is the purpose of having a car that is locked from the INSIDE once the alarm is set, other than to prevent anyone inside from getting out?
ReplyDeleteCali is this the story you were talking about?
ReplyDeleteHOUSTON — A 3-year-old boy was left in his mother's truck in 90-degree heat as she worked her shift at a hospital, then wriggled free from his car seat and even tried to start the ignition or open the windows before he died, officials said.
The mother of Cameron Thomas Boone told investigators she forgot to drop him off at day care. She returned to the truck about nine hours later to find him unconscious Thursday.
The woman broke the back windshield and called for help, but the boy was dead when she took him to North Cypress Medical Center, where she worked, Sheriff's Lt. John Denholm said. A key the child had put in the ignition automatically locked the doors, so the woman had to use a rock to break in, officials said.
Security guards were patrolling the lot, but the truck had tinted windows and it was difficult to see inside, Denholm said.
The sheriff's office would not identify the mother or disclose her position at the hospital. Calls to the hospital were not returned Friday.
No charges have been filed.
I still cant see forgeting your child in the car. After I put my son in I am I have the habit of always looking in my rearview mirror. Or talking to him about where we are going. One way to not forget if you have child in the car is to put all their "stuff" for the day in the front seat with you. Diaper bag, toys, etc. Make sure you have your purse laying besides these items. Sad to say how many women really forget their purse.
ReplyDeleteI don't have a van or suv so maybe its different. But when I get out of the car I always look toward the backseats. Must be a habit. Even before I had kids.
Ericsmom, I agree with you. I'm a nanny, so granted, I'm not with the kids 24 hours a day, but I too chat with the kiddos while I'm driving or at the vrey least glance back in the rear view at stop lights.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit, I have driven off with my lunch bag on the top of my car, or forgotten to put my gas cap on more than once, but I can't imagine ever being so distracted I would forget I had a baby in the car.
i can't bring myself to listen to the 911 call...
ReplyDeletei know that if it were me, i'd be so freakin' hysterical that the entire west coast would hear me.
such a horrible way for that poor baby to die. just heartbreaking.
Interestingly, I've read studies on this. When it happens to a priest or a teacher the community grieves for them and they get a slap on a wrist. When it happens to a stripper, or a young parent they are thrown in jail. Generally, anyway.
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