Sioux City police are reminding everyone to not leave children in cars during these hot summer days. Officer Chad Sheehan says police responded three times in the last week to rescue children left in locked cars.
“It’s my understanding that none of those resulted in serious injuries, but it’s important to know and a reminder to the public, that you can be charged if a child is left unattended in a vehicle,” Sheehan says. the charges could include child endangerment or child neglect.
Sheehan says it’s simple to ensure that your child is safe. “We recommend that they always check the back seat of their vehicle — or third row seat if they are driving a larger minivan or SUV — check that area before you lock your vehicle and walk away from it,” Sheehan says.
Temperatures in a car can reach 123 degrees in just an hour when the outside temperature is 80 degrees. Sheehan says 537 children have died in the United States since 1998 from being left in a hot vehicle. You can find safety tips at: www.kidsincars.org.
By Woody Gottburg, KSCJ, Sioux City