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The dangers of leaving your child alone in the car

A wrong turn on the way to work would soon evolve into the tragic end for ten month old "Mikey", who lay sleeping and forgotten in the back of his father's car.

Three years later "Mikey's" father shares his story at 4rkidssakes.org, ". . . the route to both work and daycare is basically the same from my house, but at the last intersection, I must turn one way instead of the other. On that day, after a change of my usual morning routine, I lost my concentration and by force of habit drove to work instead of daycare. Mikey, meanwhile, had fallen asleep in the back. I got out of the car without remembering he was there, walked up to my office, and shattered all our dreams."

Similar stories are being heard year after year as children become victims of hyperthermia, hypothermia, back-overs, trunk entrapment, seat belt entanglement and many other dangers linked to vehicles.

With today's hectic lives and demanding schedules are increasing our need to save time, and the phrase, "I'll only be a minute," is thought and spoken by parent's everyday. A quick trip to the ATM, a chat with a friend, or a run into the store is unpredictable in length and circumstance. A simple hold up at the check out could have deadly consequences.

Three year old Harrison and his mother would have to pay the price of those words, "I'll only be a minute," as she shares her story with 4rkidssake.org.

"Two children (ages 2 and 3) were left unattended inside a van that was running while their parents stood behind the van talking to relatives. One of the children playing behind the wheel shifted the van into gear. The idle on the van, set higher than normal, caused the van to jump a curb stop and race through the park."

Both Harrison and his mother were struck head on by the van, Harrison did not survive, but his mother lived to tell the story.

She said, "Weeks before Harrison's death a local storeowner had warned that mother not to leave her toddlers unattended in a running van. She disregarded the advice and now we suffer the consequences. Since our tragedy we have found hundreds of incidents where children shifted a vehicle into motion. Most of the time the car hits a lifeless object. Those people are lucky and sustain only monetary damages. We wish we were that fortunate. The ultimate nightmare has happened to us."

Harrison and "Mikey's" parents learned through their heartbreaking experiences that events like theirs, unfortunately, happen more often then you think.

This year alone, through the organization


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The dangers of leaving your child alone in the car

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The dangers of leaving your child alone in the car

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