Each year, heartbreaking news stories emerge about children who have been forgotten in cars. These incidents often end in tragedy, highlighting the urgent need for increased awareness and preventive measures.
Sadly, most children left behind in hot cars is because parents/caregivers are preoccupied and just simply forget they are there. It is not because they are bad parents; they just made a mistake that can end in tragedy. That was the case for an Arizona couple in 2019 who ran their older kids to school and forgot about their 3-year-old who was forgotten in dad’s truck after he returned to his home office to dive into his work. The tot usually went to preschool, but was not feeling well that day and needed to stay home with dad. Her dad was on autopilot with his regular routine and just forgot about his young daughter until his wife called to check on her and he remembered he never took her out of her car seat.
The Arizona heat was 98 degrees that day, and by the time the dad called 911, it was too late for the tot. Her parents want everyone to learn from their mistake.