MELROSE, MASS. (WHDH) - Police in Melrose are reminding people of the dangers of leaving children in cars as temperatures rise after a child was mistakenly locked in a hot car Thursday.
Officials say a nanny called police to report that she had closed the door to her car and mistakenly left the keys in the console with a toddler locked in the backseat.
The woman told officers that the child had gone from smiling and laughing to crying as temperatures rose inside the car.
Police and fire crews responded to the scene and managed to free the child within one minute of arrival. Officials say the child was in the car for less than 10 minutes.
“The story ended well in this case, and the officers, firefighters and tow operator did an outstanding job, but today showed just how quickly conditions change inside a vehicle,” said Melrose police chief Michael Lyle. “I know accidents happen, but I hope all residents will read and appreciate these important safety tips and never intentionally leave a child or a pet inside a hot car.”
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says 42 children died from heatstroke after being left in a hot car in 2017.
Officials says the temperatures in a hot car can rise 20 degrees in just 10 minutes and can reach upwards of 125 degrees. Police remind drivers to always check the back seat before locking the car or walking away, check to make sure your child arrives safely if someone else is driving your child, and if you see a child left in a car, call 9-1-1 and attempt to get the child out of the car immediately, even if it means breaking a window.
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