Virginia father kills himself after his
18-month-old son dies in a hot car after
absentmindedly leaving him locked in the
sweltering heat for three hours while
he was at work
Daily Mail (UK),
by
Vanessa Serna
Original Article
Posted By: Imright,
6/29/2022 11:59:02 AM
A Virginia father kills himself after he found his 18-month-old son dead in the backseat of an overheated car on Tuesday, police said.
'This is a horrible tragedy on so many levels,' Chesterfield Police Lt. Col. Christopher Hensley said.
Police speculate the father went to work in the morning for three hours and forgot to drop his son off at daycare during an ongoing heatwave. Temperatures in Chesterfield reached a high of 80F on Tuesday, according to The Weather Channel.
Reply 1 - Posted by:
wilarrbie 6/29/2022 12:28:39 PM (No. 1200866)
So tragic but several children have died this way this year! There is an alarm when someone is unbuckled - there needs to be an outside alarm that must be physically turned off by opening other door if any weight in back seat after driver unseats.
19 people like this.
Reply 2 - Posted by:
Flyball Dogs 6/29/2022 12:28:59 PM (No. 1200867)
My heart is broken.
We need a high school engineer to develop a fool-proof widget to help parents prevent this.
20 people like this.
#1 - FWIW, I recently rented a vehicle (don't remember the make/model) that sounds an alarm when the engine is turned off and there's weight in the back seat.
26 people like this.
Reply 4 - Posted by:
DVC 6/29/2022 12:46:08 PM (No. 1200886)
Horribly sad.
Some simple errors cannot be undone. And a horrible 'solution ', too.
23 people like this.
Reply 5 - Posted by:
Rich323 6/29/2022 12:46:53 PM (No. 1200888)
First off, condolences to the family on this awful tragedy. Somehow we have to take life more seriously. I wonder how people can be so focused on work to forget a child. We’re so dependent on machines telling us what to do and when. Facebook reminds people of birthdays anniversaries etc when we used to know this by heart. Self driving cars now, AI controlled homes - and more to come.
When you see these young mothers carrying their child in this huge suitcase size removable car seat, banging back and forth against their leg as they walk, you wonder if the child enjoys that action. We used to carry our kids in arms, not carry around like luggage. It’s all related somehow, hope we can figure out how to do better.
23 people like this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
earlybird 6/29/2022 12:47:42 PM (No. 1200892)
I can see our whole car, a large four-door sedan and would certainly be aware of a child in a car seat in the back seat. I wonder if Dad only intended to leave his baby for a short while. Was he really at work, or somewhere else?
6 people like this.
Reply 7 - Posted by:
udanja99 6/29/2022 12:47:50 PM (No. 1200893)
If I were in that position, I think I would have killed myself too. I would not be able to live with myself.
29 people like this.
Reply 8 - Posted by:
lynngirl122 6/29/2022 12:52:01 PM (No. 1200899)
How do you "forget" to drop your son off at daycare?
20 people like this.
Reply 9 - Posted by:
sterling431 6/29/2022 12:52:54 PM (No. 1200901)
It doesn't get any worse than this. May God bless both their souls.
35 people like this.
Reply 10 - Posted by:
GoodDeal 6/29/2022 1:44:22 PM (No. 1200949)
I am wondering if dad was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. People that are high drunk or under the influence of a mind or mood-altering substances forget stuff like the kid in the back seat.
10 people like this.
Reply 11 - Posted by:
Birddog 6/29/2022 1:48:35 PM (No. 1200950)
tooooooo many people living their lives in advance and in the past. Human doing...not Human BEing.
Tap your watch/Tap your toe. What TIME is it? It's right now. Where is your head at? some future time, some time in the past? Get your head to where your feet are. RIGHT NOW is all you have, it is where you live.
9 people like this.
Reply 12 - Posted by:
Corndoggies 6/29/2022 2:46:12 PM (No. 1201002)
Part of me almost understands forgetting your kid but how do you not think of them AT ALL for hours? That’s the thing that always bugs me. I do understand the father not being able to live with himself.
9 people like this.
Reply 13 - Posted by:
mizzmac 6/29/2022 3:10:54 PM (No. 1201020)
Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.
19 people like this.
Reply 14 - Posted by:
Quigley 6/29/2022 3:55:55 PM (No. 1201048)
This is so horrible. Agreement with those who have called for a device to alert the distracted parent.
When i was a new father i had a terrible fear of such forgetfulness. After an entire lifetime of not having a baby, of just being able to walk out the door of the house anytime you please without concern for someone napping in the back room, it is hardly surprising that such forgetfulness occurs. One time i left the fireplace gas valve key in the valve and couldn’t help think how disproportionate the punishment to the crime would have been if one of the toddlers had turned on the gas.
May God have some Healing Forgiveness for everyone who is suffering from this both in this world and the next.
14 people like this.
Reply 15 - Posted by:
bgarrett 6/29/2022 3:59:04 PM (No. 1201052)
when you consider what the cops would have done to him, you cant blame the guy for killing himself
2 people like this.
Reply 16 - Posted by:
TurtleDove 6/29/2022 4:03:26 PM (No. 1201058)
Oh God, how awful for this family. My truly heartfelt condolences to their family & friends; I will pray God keeps you in his loving arms through this tragedy.
14 people like this.
Reply 17 - Posted by:
coyote 6/29/2022 4:26:26 PM (No. 1201080)
A device that could save a life in such a situation would be a fan that turns on at as the temperature creeps up, It could be the existing heater fan with an adaption. When it turns on, it could also send an alert to a parent's phone along with a snapshot to show anyone in the car.
11 people like this.
Reply 18 - Posted by:
thewarden 6/29/2022 4:35:15 PM (No. 1201088)
Have seen stories that you throw one shoe in the backseat so that you have to retrieve it…and see your child. Sounds logical.
13 people like this.
I have to wonder if this is happening because there might be some underlying condition in the child that the parents don't want to deal with maybe. This guy paid big for the loss of his baby, as he should have. I hope God has mercy on him and takes this into account.
0 people like this.
Reply 20 - Posted by:
wordguy50 6/29/2022 10:29:20 PM (No. 1201321)
Another senseless loss, yet the solution is so simple: put children's car seats in the front passenger seat! Yes, right beside the driver. I'm convinced these deaths did not happen until the nanny-state meddlers decreed that child safety seats had to be in the back, out of the driver's field of view. Seems to me any governor could save lives by simply issuing an emergency order suspending this rule.
4 people like this.
Reply 21 - Posted by:
mifla 6/30/2022 4:22:52 AM (No. 1201449)
You drive to work every day for years. A routine is established.
You become a Dad.
One day the auto pilot kicks in and you forget your child.
0 people like this.
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