Fire department rescues child locked in hot car, issues health warning
Authorities say that the child’s babysitter accidentally locked the child in the car with her keys. It happened at Soldiers Memorial Field in Summit.
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A 2-year-old child locked inside a car in Summit was rescued on Thursday. While the incident only lasted a matter of minutes, the fire department is warning people about the dangers of hot cars.
Authorities say that the child’s babysitter accidentally locked the child in the car with her keys. It happened at Soldiers Memorial Field.
“I saw a few firetrucks and a few police cars come in. I was working in the field,” says Thomas Blach, of Old Bridge.
The child was locked in the car for about nine minutes before the fire department was able to unlock the door.
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“It’s super hot out. It’s scary because it happens all the time. I hear stories about it,” says Blach.
Authorities say the situation could have turned out differently if the child had been in the car for just a minute longer.
“On days like today where it’s very hot and humid, a little less than 10 minutes – that could be fatal,” says Summit Fire Chief Eric Evers.
Evers says that when temperatures are above 80 degrees or when the humidity is above 70%, people should avoid sitting in a parked car with the windows up and no air conditioning. They say to act quickly if you see someone locked in a car.
“Immediately call 911. If you think it’s something very critical, again, as a bystander, get the police department but always call 911. At last resort you can always bust the window out,” Evers says.
Evers says he doesn’t recommend locking someone in a car while it's unattended, even if the air conditioning is on.
