LA - Lourdes Duvall, 6 mos, dies in hot car, Shreveport, 22 Aug 2012

T4Tide

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http://www.knoe.com/story/19368899/death-of-girl-left-in-suv-ruled-accidental

"SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) - The Caddo Parish Coroner's Office says the death of a 6-month-old girl found in a locked SUV in an employee parking lot of LSU Hospital has been ruled accidental.

Coroner Todd Thoma tells The Times (http://bit.ly/OeuABq ) the death of the infant, Lourdes Marie Duvall, appears to be the result of a tragic accident."



We've seen several of these, I know.... but I thought this one was significant because the father who left his 6 month old is a trauma surgeon.

I don't understand these cases, but yet I don't condemn the individuals, either. I know that the suffering they are going through is worse than anything I could imagine. The thought of losing my child is unbearable. The thought of losing my child due to an oversight or miscalculation of my own is beyond unbearable.

At the same time, what is going on with our minds, as a society? Preoccupation? Technology? You would think that a person as meticulous as a surgeon wouldn't make this kind of mistake, even though no one is perfect. No judgement from me, as I am just thankful that this never happened to one of mine.

http://www.bustedinacadiana.com/201...in-doctors-suv-ruled-accidental/#.UDfJzqP0Sdk

Sweet Lourdes
Lourdes-Marie-Duvall.jpg
 
There must be a way of designing a car which would prevent this type of accident. Heartbreaking for all concerned, how do you go on living after such a tragedy?
 
built in car seats with alarms that go off if the car is shut off and the seat has weight in it...?
 
built in car seats with alarms that go off if the car is shut off and the seat has weight in it...?


Built in alarm if a safety belt is not unfastened when a car is shut off?

If a car is in drive and running and the seat belts are not fastened an alarm beeps every so often, at least in my car. Why not an alarm that notifies the driver a selt belt has not been unfastened when a car is turned off?

I realize most infant seats remain buckled in vehicles, but maybe an alarm might remind the driver to check the car seat?


These stories are always sad.
 
it is very sad...

not sure i understand why its only an accident for this surgeon?
 
Well, something is going to have to happen because this cannot keep happening. This type of infant/child death is senseless and I don't care who you are.
 
There but for the grace of God.
I have never left my child in a car but I can see how it could happen. Now my memory is so bad I am glad my grand babies are are older now. I can see becoming so distracted and with a change of routine it would be possible for me to act on auto pilot. A few months ago my neighbor parked his car differently then he usually did and it was much closer to my car. I even remember thinking that his car was parked in a different place. Then I got into my car and proceeded to back up by rote memory, pulling out the way I always did and scraping the back of his car because I wasn't paying attention; I was distracted and just backed out the way I always did. Thank God it was only a car and not a baby that was left behind. My prayers are with this family and particularly with the father. I hope he can forgive himself.
This article about the subject is very good.

http://www.pulitzer.org/works/2010-Feature-Writing
 
Most parents remember they have put the baby in the car, so we need a "Baby Alert" button that the parent can press the minute they put the child in the car, and that goes off loudly and constantly when the car is turned off. Pressing the button a second time would turn off the alarm, but by that point, the parent would remember why it's going off. We have cars that can park themselves....it's about time for a damn alert button.
 
We know this family and they are utterly destroyed over Lourdes' death. :(.

There but for the grace of G*d go I. I have many times pulled into my driveway only to realize I do not remember a single second of my drive home.

And it isn't just Dr. Duvall who was given the benefit of the doubt for his baby's death being accidental. When my own daughter was a baby, there was a similar case where we lived in Atlanta and it was the grandmother who didn't usually take the baby to daycare, but was asked at the last minute. She got to work and sometime mid afternoon , she remembered her granddaughter in the car but it was too late. :(. That was ruled an accident, too. It is horrible and awful but hardly criminal.

I think in Dr. Duvall's case, his guilt will torture him far more than being charged with a crime. JMHO
 
How terribly, terribly sad for a baby to die in a hot car even if by accident. The baby suffered and now the family will suffer forever. Something has to be done to prevent this sort of thing from happening. It happens to pets too that people leave in hot cars. That is tragic too. I even read of 2 different policemen who left their trained police dogs in their cars with the motor and air conditioning off and the dogs died. This sort of preventable accident just has to stop!
 
How to Remind a Parent of the Baby in the Car?

Some good solutions here. I also understand the reluctance of some auto makers. If the alert system fails then there would be law suits against them.

Some other solutions mentioned:

The organization has suggestions for caregivers. One is that drivers leave something they need next to the child — a purse or cellphone, for example. The assumption is that if the item is remembered, the child will be as well.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/30/automobiles/30HEAT.html?pagewanted=all

Also not mentioned in the article is if the children are to be dropped off at a daycare, make sure the daycare has a system in place that if the child does not attend that morning let's say by a specific time, the parents MUST be called.

We have the absenteeism (is that a word? lol) system in place in schools, why not daycares?
 

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