Despite repeated warnings from police about the dangers of leaving kids alone in vehicles in the heat, charges are pending against a woman in Edmonton for doing just that.
According to Edmonton Police Service, on June 29, officers were dispatched to a grocery store parking lot in the area of 185 Street and Stony Plain Road, after reports of a child needing intervention.
Officials stated that the woman parked her vehicle in the lot, took two young children into the store and left a toddler in the vehicle, which was locked and turned off. After nearly 50 minutes, witnesses forced the rear window down and took out the child.
EPS said that the child was sweating profusely in the vehicle and the temperature was around 25 degrees Celsius.
Earlier this week, the police had arrested and charged a person for leaving their dog unattended in a vehicle at West Edmonton Mall.
Vehicle is not a babysitter, what can be done to prevent tragedy
Leaving kids or pets in the car can be a fatal mistake, as temperatures can quickly become dangerous — if not deadly — within minutes.
According to the Canada Safety Council, on a warm day, even vehicles parked in the shade with windows down can reach a staggering 49 degrees Celsius in minutes. Extreme heat affects infants and small children more quickly and dramatically than adults because of their size. Their core body temperature can increase three to five times faster than that of an adult.
If you spot a child left alone in a car, call the police/911 immediately. Provide them with the location, license plate and vehicle description and stay with the child until help arrives.