NY - Dad forgets day care stop, leaves one-year-old in car for 8 hrs in 15°F temps

NY dad forgets baby in car for 8 hours on cold day (AP)

COLONIE, N.Y. — Authorities say a New York man who left his 1-year-old son in his car for eight hours in frigid weather only realized his mistake after a call from his wife.

Police in the Albany suburb of Colonie say the man forgot to drop off his son at day care and left the child strapped in the back seat of the car when he parked outside his office Thursday morning.

Officials say the man received a call from his wife at about 4 p.m. inquiring about their child. He called for an ambulance and the boy was checked out at a hospital and released. Police say the baby didn't suffer any injuries despite temperatures that didn't top 15 degrees.

Police said Friday they haven't determined if the father would be charged.

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A criticism of the AP article above is that it did not include the fact in its lede that the baby was fine. One has to skip down to find out the most important element of the story.

If parents are changing their routines for any reason,maybe it would be a wise move to call the daycare to make sure child is dropped off as soon possible!If child should be there before 9 call then at 9 or call the one who is suppose to be dropping off the child!In this day and age of cells phones it takes but 1 minute to be sure! At least the baby was not found dead!


ETA I swear Common sense is no longer common and that is the major problem in this world!I was a working mom on and off when I had little ones,and we had a very stressful life not once did we ever leave our children anywhere.Stress and family life go hand and hand and since the 70's more and more moms have been working moms it is not something that just started happening!

I am so glad the baby is ok... 8 hours, geesh..

I think it's time to fine or give community service to parents that do this. It might make them think next time when routine is off schedule, gee I better make sure to drop baby off or I'll get fine/something. Not the route I want to go, because it just odd. If my day was off I think it would be more on my mind. Just so you know my husband would be in so much trouble, with me. I doubt I could ever trust him again.

Also, don't couples talk during the day. I talk to my husband at lunch... I think my question would come up as, how did dropping so and so off go. Not to mention why would't the daycare call and see why the child isn't in.

The baby may have been "fine" but I'll bet he was wet and hungry and very lonely and bored, besides being cold!

http://wnyt.com/article/stories/S2908310.shtml?cat=300

COLONIE - A father will not be charged - for now - by authorities in Colonie after leaving his baby in a car for eight hours on one of the coldest days of the year

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I read somewhere that they just had a death in the family and he was very upset. I wonder why the daycare didn't contact the parents when the child didn't show up for day care?

Heres another article...

http://capitalregion.ynn.com/content/top_stories/633296/more-details-about-child-left-in-car-for-hours/

Wanting2Help said:

I read somewhere that they just had a death in the family and he was very upset. I wonder why the daycare didn't contact the parents when the child didn't show up for day care?

Heres another article...

http://capitalregion.ynn.com/content/top_stories/633296/more-details-about-child-left-in-car-for-hours/

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Well there could have been another death in the family if he left the child in the car during the summer or it was colder than it was. Every year children die when left in cars.

This is absolutely inexcusable!

MissJ said:

This is absolutely inexcusable!

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I agree....

jjenny said:

Well there could have been another death in the family if he left the child in the car during the summer or it was colder than it was. Every year children die when left in cars.

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We have several of these child deaths during the summer in FL each year...some are charged and some are not....I've never understood how LE makes that determination....but to me there is NO excuse...I can understand forgetting your keys, purse, wallet, phone, etc. but cannot understand forgetting your own flesh and blood....the very one you are working to provide a good life for, the one you were so happy to have born into your family...just boggles the mind...if there are no charges, I agree with community service...why not have the parent work in a day care for several weeks or on the pediatric unit in a hospital....

I've posted this article before, but it bears re-posting. For anyone who questions how someone can leave a child in a car, read this article before you judge.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/27/AR2009022701549.html

It's a long read, but really worth it.

Our last truck, a 2006 model year had a weight sensor in the passenger side front seat. If you went to drive off and the passenger side seat belt was not engaged, but the weight sensor said there was something there, the light would come on and the truck would ding until whoever was in the passenger seat put on their belt.

How hard would it be to put one of those sensors in every seat? When the engine is turned off, the car dings and tells you "The back seat is occupied." Just like older cars, as late as the 80's, would tell you when you went to get out that the door was ajar.

ETA: Reading through to the end of the older, long article, I see that this is the idea that is being pushed for, and it makes it all the more ridiculous that we can install just the technology to remind adults to do one automatic thing (put on their seat belt) that has to be done every single time they drive, in order to save their lives, however, we can't make it mandatory to install that technology to remind adults to do something that is less automatic and can easily slip someone's mind (making sure the kid is where they are supposed to be.)