Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Baby found dead in vehicle (left all day in a minivan)
Grand Forks Herald ^ | June 29, 2006 | Lisa Gibson

Posted on 06/29/2006 8:59:40 AM PDT by charming_harmonica

A 5-month-old baby died in a minivan Wednesday after the mother apparently forgot to drop the child off at day care.

The tragedy was discovered about 5:30 p.m. outside the Wonder Years 2 day care. The baby's mother stopped at the day care after work to pick up the child and was told by staff that the baby had not been dropped off. She realized then that the baby had been in her minivan all day.

"The mother had forgotten to drop off the child at day care in the morning," said Curt Kreun, owner of Wonder Years 2. "She actually came in the building to pick up the child and then realized what had happened."

The child was in a car seat in the back of the vehicle, according to Sgt. Jeff Burgess of the Grand Forks Police Department. A Wonder Years 2 staff member made the 911 call, according to Kreun.

Staff members had taken the baby out of the van and started CPR before the ambulance arrived. Kreun said he reached the scene about 6 p.m. and emergency personnel already had gotten the word from Altru to cease resuscitation.

"The child had probably passed away a while before she got to the day care," Kreun said.

Kreun, who has been in the child care business for years, said near-tragedies happen all too often.

"I know people who have gotten to work and realized they forgot to drop off their kids and had to go back."

Kreun said it would have been impossible for passersby to see the baby in the van, which had tinted windows.

"I walked around that van about 14 times after they left, and you would not have been able to see in there," he said.

The incident is under investigation by the Criminal Investigation Bureau, but police told Kreun they didn't expect charges to be filed.

"They're looking at it as a tragic accident," he said. "This is by far the most devastating thing I've had to witness."

"There are no arrests being made tonight," said Burgess. "I can tell you that."

The cause of death had not yet been confirmed Wednesday night, but a likely cause of death in cases where children are left in hot vehicles is hyperthermia.

The temperature in a parked car rises very rapidly, even when the windows are left open a crack. Studies show that the temperature can rise as much as 50 degrees in an hour.

Wednesday's high was 79 degrees, so the temperature in the van easily could have exceeded 100 degrees.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; US: North Dakota
KEYWORDS:
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 81-100101-120121-140 ... 261 next last
To: freedumb2003
If you can't afford to give your time to your kids, you can't afford kids.
And, of course, we know that babies are only conceived when consenting adults want them to be, right?
101 posted on 06/29/2006 10:15:53 AM PDT by Clara Lou (A conservative is a liberal who has been mugged by reality. --I. Kristol)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 93 | View Replies]

To: SICSEMPERTYRANNUS
I am not a father (hope to be someday), but isn't your baby kinda the center of your universe. How could you forget such a thing?

I am not a father, nor am I likely to be (ever), but I agree.

102 posted on 06/29/2006 10:15:56 AM PDT by Lazamataz (Proudly Posting Without Reading the Article Since 1999 !!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: hispanarepublicana

Daycare centers are cesspools.
I know, my kids were in them for several years until I married #2 who stayed at home and picked them up after school.
Nevermind the germs,they have a host of other problems as well, and that goes for no matter how expensive and fancy they are.


103 posted on 06/29/2006 10:17:29 AM PDT by visualops (If you build it... www.visualops.com ...they won't come. Build the fence!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 96 | View Replies]

To: Clara Lou
And, of course, we know that babies are only conceived when consenting adults want them to be, right?

Reproductive technology has come a long way. They know what causes pregnancy now and even have ways to inhibit it.

104 posted on 06/29/2006 10:18:28 AM PDT by freedumb2003 (The Left created, embraces and feeds "The Culture of Hate." Make it part of the political lexicon!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 101 | View Replies]

To: pnz1
Exactly. The child must have been as quiet as a mouse. Definitely a great example of priorities askew.
105 posted on 06/29/2006 10:18:43 AM PDT by GOP Poet
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: freedumb2003

You're preaching to the choir on this one. :)


106 posted on 06/29/2006 10:18:58 AM PDT by RobRoy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 93 | View Replies]

To: freedumb2003

The overwhelmingly main reason my wife works is that when you work for an airline you fly free. We have grandkids all over the country. Trust me, we avail ourselves to this freebe often. ;)


107 posted on 06/29/2006 10:20:04 AM PDT by RobRoy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 93 | View Replies]

To: Clara Lou

I doubt that it is any more frequent than it is more likely to be reported as news than before.

Certain stories are programmed as keywords and flagged by "readers" for wire pickup.


108 posted on 06/29/2006 10:20:08 AM PDT by Old Professer (The critic writes with rapier pen, dips it twice, and writes again.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Gone GF
"This happened in our area several years ago. The lady was considered a very good mother and she was not a moron. Before she dropped the child off she had to run an errand that wasn't part of her normal routine. The baby fell asleep and was behind her seat. Of course it destroyed mer marriage and her life. Folks can call the woman in this story names all day long, but she'll beat herself up more than we can. I can't imagine the hell the rest of her life will be."

I agree with you. Absent minded people like me would certainly rather not be absent minded, but it isn't something we can change, no matter what people on this list think. Over the years, I forgot to pick up my kids from places a couple of times. Nothing bad came of it. (I also remember probably the sweetest, kindest mother in the neighborhood leaving her kids at the public pool, one time, as well.) Never forgot them in the car, but baby seats were not kept in the back, then. When my routine is disrupted, when I have to do something extra, or some other change enters in, then I forget things. Yes, I know about various kinds of memory aids like notemaking. I use them. Sometimes they help, sometimes I lose the notes.

This has all started happening after baby seats were required to be in the back seat. Babies and toddlers very often fall right to sleep in the baby seat and are then obviously quiet.

I thank God this never happened to me, but being cruel toward these parents is something I read every single time stories are posted on this list.

Sure there are times when kids are left in cars more or less deliberately such as the mother who was taking hours getting her hair and nails done and knew her kids were in the car. I remember that story very well, but don't remember if any of the kids died as a result. That is deliberate neglect and is a very different kind of behavior.

I just don't understand selfrightously heaping curelty on people who have failed horrifically, and their children have died as a result. Most go over and over that day in their minds I am sure, but once something so overhwelmingly terrible like that has happened, there is absolutely nothing you can do to get that day back and live it over and do things right so your child is safe.

So you all think it couldn't ever happen to you, eh? Well I KNOW it COULD have happened to me! Yes, folks I AM that absent minded, and guess what else, I really, really love my kids, and they turned out fine. I have God to thank that nothing like this ever happened, but at least I am honest enough to say it could have.

I think a lot of you are denying the anxiety that it COULD happen to you, now matter how careful you think you are.

Flame away, if you like.

109 posted on 06/29/2006 10:20:25 AM PDT by Irene Adler
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: RobRoy
You're preaching to the choir on this one.

For the sake of the kids I hope we can get some of the soloists to join the choir...

110 posted on 06/29/2006 10:20:33 AM PDT by freedumb2003 (The Left created, embraces and feeds "The Culture of Hate." Make it part of the political lexicon!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 106 | View Replies]

To: billygoatgruff
Another reason is the passenger side airbag could kill the infant if you were involved in a crash and it deployed because the car seat faces backwards if the infant is younger. I am not sure what the age/weight limit is when they can ride facing forward.
111 posted on 06/29/2006 10:20:33 AM PDT by I Drive Too Fast
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: RowdyYates

Until one of you starts leaking at both ends.


112 posted on 06/29/2006 10:21:07 AM PDT by Old Professer (The critic writes with rapier pen, dips it twice, and writes again.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: RobRoy

That's true- but IMHO there is a difference between an accident that is likely difficult to prevent and one that is entirely preventable by taking some simple precautions.
Kids are resilient but they do fall or choke or otherwise injure themselves because they aren't living in a bubble. But being left in a car isn't that sort of "accident".


113 posted on 06/29/2006 10:22:06 AM PDT by visualops (If you build it... www.visualops.com ...they won't come. Build the fence!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 99 | View Replies]

To: RinaseaofDs

Someone seriously should invent a safety device to help solve this tragic problem!


114 posted on 06/29/2006 10:22:36 AM PDT by Sisku Hanne (*Support DIANA IREY for US Congress!* Send "Cut-n-Run" Murtha packing: HIT THE ROAD, JACK!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 52 | View Replies]

To: mtbopfuyn

Sometimes circumstances make it so that a child has to go to daycare.

I went on total bedrest during my 2nd pregnancy, so we had to put my son in daycare. He ended up staying in it longer than we expected because his twin sisters got very sick and almost died when they were 6 weeks old. After the twins got home, one had severe asthma and one had brain damage. I couldn't handle all 3 kids at home with me (it was hard enough to take care of 2 sick babies).

We found a great daycare close to our home. I could pick him up early or drop him off late whenever I wanted. He loved it. He was always very sociable and made friends easily. He hated being at home all day long without other kids to play with.

I never rag on daycare because it was such a lifesaver for my family. I also know a number of women whose husbands have died young (and some whose husbands have left them), and they've needed daycare.


115 posted on 06/29/2006 10:22:47 AM PDT by luckystarmom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: I Drive Too Fast

>>I can't understand how you could forget something this important.<<

I can.

I'm 52. I HAVE. Your chance will come although, hopefully as in my case, nothing bad came of it other than your cold sweat when you realize what could have happened.


116 posted on 06/29/2006 10:22:51 AM PDT by RobRoy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 94 | View Replies]

To: PzLdr
Some people shouldn't breed.Bet she remembered everything on her schedule at work.



And I also bet she has already been contacted by a lawyer discussing why the daycare center should be sued for not notifying her that her child was not dropped off, and how much she can expect to collect.
117 posted on 06/29/2006 10:23:11 AM PDT by John D
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 44 | View Replies]

To: RowdyYates
.When our first was in daycare> the warehouse, we'd get a call if a dropoff was not made and was expected (which happened a few times because of vacation or appointments). I guess that's what the $250/week was for.

So your kids are worth $12,000 a year?

118 posted on 06/29/2006 10:24:08 AM PDT by freedumb2003 (The Left created, embraces and feeds "The Culture of Hate." Make it part of the political lexicon!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: BadAndy
A good mother's first priority is raising and caring for her child. She doesn't farm it off for others to deal with when it's an infant.
This is easy to say, and I don't disagree with your basic premise. But what about those square pegs who don't fit your round hole? Hypothetical situation: The mother of the forgotten child is a widow or a rape victim who kept the child or, God forbid, an unmarried mom. She must work to support the child. What are such women to do? They exist by the thousands. What, in your view, should such women in this situation to do? How are they going to stay home?
119 posted on 06/29/2006 10:24:30 AM PDT by Clara Lou (A conservative is a liberal who has been mugged by reality. --I. Kristol)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 95 | View Replies]

To: charming_harmonica
I can't imagine how you could possibly leave a baby in the car all day

I can imagine it perfectly; Mommy has a cell phone jammed in her ear while driving to the day care center and is also putting on makeup at the same time, stops at day care center, still jabbering on the cell phone, hangs up after several minutes, thinks she has dropped Jr off, drives to work jabbering on her phone some more and rechecking her makeup, arrives at work and forgets she never dropped off Junior. It all comes from people being so engaged in other activities unrelated to driving and to dropping off Jr that they just aren't paying attention to anything else.

120 posted on 06/29/2006 10:24:44 AM PDT by NRA1995 (Zarqawi died, liberals cried....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 81-100101-120121-140 ... 261 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson