Summer is almost here, which means longer days, no school, and high temperatures. With the heat rolling in, we often see a lot of warnings and reminders not to leave pets in the car, even if the windows are cracked. The high temperatures are only multiplied inside a vehicle, causing our poor pups to overheat, and in some tragic cases, even die.
While we can almost understand why someone would leave their pup in the car if they were running out for a super quick errand, it’s a whole different level to leave your child in a hot car. There have been stories circulating of parents who left their children in the car during the sweltering heat, and some have even died from the carelessness.
Whether or not you’ve ever left your child in the car, these frightening facts and very real footage are the grim reminders of how serious it can be.
A video was recently released showing a tiny child who was left alone inside a van at a Hackensack, New Jersey Costco parking lot. While the child was rescued, we should not come to think of these situations as the norm.
In the video, a crowd of people hover around a van in a Costco parking lot. Each one looks concerned, and one man can be seen even trying to get into the vehicle. The reason? A tiny child is inside, completely alone, and sobbing. It is by no means a cold day, which means the temperatures inside the van are reaching an uncomfortable high for the unattended child.
Seeing that the situation is dangerous, the onlookers called for police assistance. When the officer arrived, he is forced to break the window to retrieve the child.
“Where are the parents?” the officer addresses the crowd. A few people say they don’t know, while others guess that they are inside shopping.
“Are you kidding me?” the cop asks, noticeably frustrated. One gentleman informs the cop that they noticed the child about 10 minutes ago and informed the store manager. Who knows how long that child had been in there, burning up, before the man even noticed.
A second female officer arrives and pulls the young child out of the car, and everyone gasps at the sight of the terrified toddler.
“She’s soaking wet.” the officer holding the child exclaims, and it’s evident that the poor baby is covered in sweat from how hot the interior of van was. The officer continues to comfort the crying child while everyone waits in anticipation for the arrival of the parents.
Finally, the mother arrives with a shopping cart filled with groceries, and another child with her. All she has to say is “sorry”. The cop refuses to return the terrified child back into her mother’s hands. “You left her in the car!” the officer yells at the mother. “She could have died!”
The mother, Chaeyoung Lim-Kim, was charged with child endangerment, and the father now has custody of the child. This woman’s entire life was changed because of her decision to leave her child alone in the car.
While we know kids can be fussy and misbehave in the store, this video just goes to show how serious the offense can be for leaving a child in a car. Thankfully, this child was rescued, but things could have been much worse.
What do you think of this video?
