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 ... 101-120121-140141-160 ... 261 next last
To: Ron in Acreage

When you have multiple kids, then one of them has to go in the back. It's not a big deal to have a kid in the back. You can place mirrors in the car to see the kids.

A few years back, I had 3 kids under 3, two of which were babies.


121 posted on 06/29/2006 10:25:32 AM PDT by luckystarmom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: Sisku Hanne

Those little seatbelts on the baby seats (that are part of the baby seat) could be programmed to honk the horn repeatedly if the seatbelt is engaged with the engine off longer than, say, 5 minutes (need to have time to get the baby out of the car after one parks).


122 posted on 06/29/2006 10:26:06 AM PDT by hispanarepublicana (Don't fall for the soft bigotry of assuming all Hispanics are pro-amnesty. www.dontspeakforme.org)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 114 | View Replies]

To: Clara Lou

The pregnancy after rape scenario happens very rarely. As for the other scenarios, they are consequences of choices that were made (and in the widow's case, she wouldn't have to work if she & the Mr. had made better life insurance choices while he was alive since they knew they had children).
Women need to take things like this into consideration before they make the choice to make children or get into situations where they might be made.


123 posted on 06/29/2006 10:28:48 AM PDT by hispanarepublicana (Don't fall for the soft bigotry of assuming all Hispanics are pro-amnesty. www.dontspeakforme.org)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 119 | View Replies]

To: hispanarepublicana
"One of my friends has two children: ages 3 and 1-1/2. The three year old's first year (much of which was spent in daycare), he had lots of ear infections, etc. When the youngest was born, she stayed home for good. The youngest has never had an ear infection yet."

Ear infections are not communicable. They arise mainly due to the structure of the person's ear canal. Different kids, different ear canals. I had one kids who had ear infections, too, and one who never had one. It has nothing to do with daycare, because both of my kids went to daycare. Ear infections are not contagious.

124 posted on 06/29/2006 10:29:55 AM PDT by Irene Adler
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 96 | View Replies]

To: Old Professer
I doubt that it is any more frequent than it is more likely to be reported as news than before.
Regardless, it happens too often, even if it's only a few times a year. It would be so simple to have an alarm ping when the driver pulls the keys out of the ignition while the babyseat is buckled.
125 posted on 06/29/2006 10:29:56 AM PDT by Clara Lou (A conservative is a liberal who has been mugged by reality. --I. Kristol)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 108 | View Replies]

To: editor-surveyor

you mean, why hasn't the state made laws against this? they're trying to in MI. any child left in any vehicle, for any amount of time, whether or not harm is caused would be prosecuted. but, like many other laws, if someone is going to do something like leave their child in the car for an hour, they will do it no matter what the law is.
problem does not lie in the legislature, but in the prosecuters office.
besides, if there's a law that says there will be a fine if a child is left in the vehicle, it will make it that much easier to plea bargain down.


126 posted on 06/29/2006 10:33:16 AM PDT by absolootezer0 ("My God, why have you forsaken us.. no wait, its the liberals that have forsaken you... my bad")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 54 | View Replies]

To: Clara Lou
I predict automakers will have to get together with infant car seat makers to come up with some kind of alarm system

I'm working on that now. It's based on a pressure sensitive switch. If there is more than 3 lbs of pressure on the car seat fifteen seconds after the engine is turned off, the alarm will sound. Still some bugs, but I will have it worked out soon.

127 posted on 06/29/2006 10:33:47 AM PDT by acad1228 (Faithful servant of the Dark Lord Xenu!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: maica
I do not consider forgetting who is responsible for a baby's care to be accidental.

She didn't forget that she was responsible for her baby's care.

She forgot to stop at the day care center.

She didn't do it purposely.

That makes it accidental.

128 posted on 06/29/2006 10:33:49 AM PDT by pax_et_bonum (Whatever happened to Cynthia McKinney?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 97 | View Replies]

To: hispanarepublicana; Clara Lou

Since they already have the alarms that ping until until a seatbelt is fastend, it seems easy enough to have an after-market device that would ping if the baby's carseat belt was not unfastened.


129 posted on 06/29/2006 10:33:55 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 122 | View Replies]

To: hispanarepublicana
The pregnancy after rape scenario happens very rarely.
You're dodging the point. That's why I named multiple potential situations that DO happen. Post 115 contains a real life situation. It doesn't happen to that many people, but it happens to some. What are these people to do? Not work?
As for the other scenarios, they are consequences of choices that were made
So what? The children exist. What are the women to do? They have to support their children. We're talking about the real world, not an ideal world that we would like to exist.
130 posted on 06/29/2006 10:33:55 AM PDT by Clara Lou (A conservative is a liberal who has been mugged by reality. --I. Kristol)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 123 | View Replies]

To: Sisku Hanne

Agreed. Simple and inexpensive.


131 posted on 06/29/2006 10:34:23 AM PDT by Clara Lou (A conservative is a liberal who has been mugged by reality. --I. Kristol)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 129 | View Replies]

To: Clara Lou

"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?"

Obviously in that situation the woman must work to provide for herself and her child. The alternative is starvation, or welfare.


132 posted on 06/29/2006 10:34:29 AM PDT by BadAndy ("Loud mouth internet Rambo")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 119 | View Replies]

To: Moose4

That's why you learn to disconnect the airbags.

On Dodge's, you just pull the fuse.


133 posted on 06/29/2006 10:34:43 AM PDT by cyclotic (Support MS research-Sponsor my Ride-https://www.nationalmssociety.org//MIG/personal/default.asp?pa=4)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: acad1228

The son of the man who invented GPS is FReeper. If you would invent something like this it would be a wonderful addition to the "Inventors who made a difference" hall of fame!


134 posted on 06/29/2006 10:35:32 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 127 | View Replies]

To: MeanWestTexan

"the Pharisees here at F.R"

You've noticed them too, huh?

This woman will suffer from this the rest of her life.


135 posted on 06/29/2006 10:37:58 AM PDT by swmobuffalo (The only good terrorist is a dead terrorist.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 34 | View Replies]

To: RayStacy
Moms and dads are fallible. Except for some freepers who are perfect and have never had a lapse of judgement.

But for the grace of g-d, that could have been any parent I know.

136 posted on 06/29/2006 10:38:32 AM PDT by OldFriend (I Pledge Allegiance to the Flag.....and My Heart to the Soldier Who Protects It.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 49 | View Replies]

To: Gone GF

my jeep has a weight sensor. most vehicles that have passenger airbags have some sort of disconnect for them. switch, key, weight, or fuse.
there was also the deal for a while that they claimed that shoulder harnesses wouldn't fit a child right and would cause injury. oops. vehicles now have shoulder harnesses front and rear.


137 posted on 06/29/2006 10:39:51 AM PDT by absolootezer0 ("My God, why have you forsaken us.. no wait, its the liberals that have forsaken you... my bad")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 35 | View Replies]

To: hispanarepublicana

It must be wonderful to be totally perfect. DO tell us how you do it - or were you just born that way? :)


138 posted on 06/29/2006 10:40:08 AM PDT by linda_22003
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 123 | View Replies]

To: hispanarepublicana
Those little seatbelts on the baby seats (that are part of the baby seat) could be programmed to honk the horn repeatedly if the seatbelt is engaged with the engine off longer than, say, 5 minutes (need to have time to get the baby out of the car after one parks).

I am a business traveller and therefore rent a lot of different cars. Well, one time I had this alarm going off inside the card and I couldn't figure it out. Eventually, I figured out that my bag was in the passenger seat and the car thought it was a person and needed a seatbelt!

I am sure something like that would work for kids in the back.

139 posted on 06/29/2006 10:42:53 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 122 | View Replies]

To: OldFriend

It seems that this situation started when parents were required to put babies in the back seat. I don't recall hearing about this when baby car seats were allowed in the front.


140 posted on 06/29/2006 10:46:33 AM PDT by Dr. Scarpetta
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 136 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 101-120121-140141-160 ... 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