Toddler dies after being forgotten in the back seat

[Paul_Heery]

OK, this one is really bugging me and I fail to see how this could have happened and feel that there is a big part of the story missing. This tragic situation occurred in the town of Ridgefield CT this week. Ridgefield is the next town over from my place. It is actually 20 feet from my front door.

So this guy has a normal work day routine:

1. Leave the house in the morning and strap his 15-month old son into the car seat.
2. Drop his son off at daycare
3. Swing by a local coffee shop for a cup of joe.
4. Head to the office and spend the day working.
5. At the end of the workday, get in the car, stop by daycare pick up his son and head home.

Well, this past Monday, apparently he forgot about step #2. On July 7th, he:

1. Left the house in the morning and strapped his 15-month old son into the car seat.
2. Swung by a local coffee shop for a cup of joe.
3. Headed to the office and spent the day working.
4. Got into his car at mid-day and drove to get lunch
5. At the end of the workday, got in his car and stopped by daycare to pick up his son.
6. When he got to daycare, he realized that he had never dropped off his son in the morning and had left the kid in the car all day in 90 degree heat.
7. Realizing what he had done, sped to the nearest hospital in Danbury where his son was pronounced dead. He did not bother to contact police or call 911.

It gets a little weirder. The local police did not release any details on this case until three days afterwards. Conspiracy theories abound. The wife & mother is an attorney with Boehringer-Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals. Boehringer-Ingelheim is the largest employer in the town as well as the highest contributor of taxes to the town. According to the linked story, she went to the police station around the same time her husband was heading to the hospital. She did not know about her son's death until she arrived later at the hospital herself.

Toddler who died in car identified - NewsTimes

[onewhippedpuppy]

Weird story. Sadly it happens a lot, our local news did a bit on it a few nights ago. They had probably eight recent examples from around the USA of kids that had been either hospitalized or died. Several had been left outside of a bar while mommy or daddy was inside getting sauced.

[Bugsinrugs]

I find it extremely hard to believe that the most important thing in your life gets forgotton in your own car. Bulls!!t.

[SilberUrS6]

Originally Posted by Bugsinrugs

I find it extremely hard to believe that the most important thing in your life gets forgotton in your own car. Bulls!!t.

My wife once did it when she and I went to a shopping mall. But our daughter was an infant, and my wife was sleep-deprived and not herself. I was there, and got our daughter out of the car, while my wife looked on, horrified.

It can actually happen, so don't be too quick to call "B.S."

BTW, Ever after that, I was always in charge of transporting the kids. She took care of the necessary gear, and I was in charge of the actual children. Worked out just fine.

[Bugsinrugs]

So he gets back in his car to go to lunch and still does not see the child. Bulls!!t

[911SauCy]

Paul.

As I was watching the news, feeding my 6 month old, this morning WTNH adds insult to injury by posting a clip that insinuated the act was simple forgetfulness...!!!???

They showed some half-wit, stay-at-homer, who was the guys neighbor defending his forgetfulness and concluded by chalking it up to, "It's so sad, it could have happened to anyone."

OH REALLY... ANYONE just might forget about their child and LET THEM DIE in a car.

This guy, his wife, this woman, and anyone else that thinks that way...need to be exterminated for the future benefit of the human populous.

As you can tell...this didn't bother me one but

[MMARSH]

Originally Posted by SilberUrS6

My wife once did it when she and I went to a shopping mall. But our daughter was an infant, and my wife was sleep-deprived and not herself. I was there, and got our daughter out of the car, while my wife looked on, horrified.

It can actually happen, so don't be too quick to call "B.S."

BTW, Ever after that, I was always in charge of transporting the kids. She took care of the necessary gear, and I was in charge of the actual children. Worked out just fine.

I agree. Happened to me once. For whatever reason our regular routine was changed and I had to drop off the baby at my parents house on the way to work. I started driving toward their house which was also the same way I went to work. by the time I got to the freeway, I was on autopilot. I got on the freeway and started driving the 50 miles to work. Thankfully my daughter woke up and began fussing several miles up the road. It scared the **** out of me. I had completely forgotten I had her with me. I would have realized it when I got to work because my gear bag was in the back seat next to her baby seat, which wasn't usually in my car, but it scared me regardless. That was our first child and it never happened again. That baby is now starting High School.

In the case of the original story, sounds fishy to me, that was not forgetfulness.

[widgeon13]

I don't believe him for a second. And I hope and pray a court doesn't either.

People need to get their heads out of their a$$es and get their priorities straight in their lives.

Forget the milk, forget the fish, forget the diapers but not the freakin kid!!!!!

[Scott Douglas]

What 15 month old isn't full of energy in the morning such that you'd forget he was there?
Why was she on her way to the police station while he was on his way to the hospital?
What day care doesn't call to ask about your child when they don't show up? It's money lost to them if the kid doesn't show.

Sadly this sounds like a kid that shouldn't have been conceived and was probably getting in the way of their life style(s).

[Z-man]

I just saw a simple and effective way to prevent this from happening: when putting a child in the car, simply take off your left shoe and put it next to the child in the back seat. When getting out of the car, you will immediately know you left something in the car.

I am sure there are dozens of items on the market that aid in reminding absent minded people they forgot something important in the back seat.

-Z

[widgeon13]

I always put my briefcase in the back seat, never forgot that on the way into the office.

Keep in mind he didn't forget his funkin coffee!!

[Bugsinrugs]

I am sorry if I offend anyone but.... If you need to give yourself reminders that your baby is in the back seat you should not be a parent. These young beings are completely helpless. To forget you have your child in your car is complete B.S.

[flipper35]

Originally Posted by Bugsinrugs

So he gets back in his car to go to lunch and still does not see the child. Bulls!!t

I would bet that kid was not quiet at lunch time unless it was already dead. Sounds like the kid tried for some time to get out of the seat.

[gacook]

Originally Posted by Z-man

I just saw a simple and effective way to prevent this from happening: when putting a child in the car, simply take off your left shoe and put it next to the child in the back seat. When getting out of the car, you will immediately know you left something in the car.

I am sure there are dozens of items on the market that aid in reminding absent minded people they forgot something important in the back seat.

-Z

I was doing some testing a couple weeks ago when the guy in (Texas?) left his kid in the car and it died. Lady that was doing testing with me said it happened to her once (forgot kid, but remembered relatively quickly and it didn't die), so she started taking off her shoes when she got in the car and putting them in the backseat.

Personally, I'm too anal retentive to be forgetful. But I suppose if you know you're the forgetful type, doing something proactive like this is the responsible thing to do.

[MMARSH]

Originally Posted by Bugsinrugs

I am sorry if I offend anyone but.... If you need to give yourself reminders that your baby is in the back seat you should not be a parent. These young beings are completely helpless. To forget you have your child in your car is complete B.S.

Sounds great, but the reality is it can happen. Am I a bad parent. I don't think so. But I'm not perfect. Well I wasnt then, I am now. Apparently you are. You'll fit in perfect here

The problem isn't when your doing your normal routine, its when you change from your regular routine. That can be the problem.

[widgeon13]

I think the point is that people seem to have screwed up priorities or just way too many distractions if they can allow this to happen.

I forgot to take my meds this morning (I think) but if I forgot the kid I'd probably think of the child at some point during the day and check to see where the kid was.

As Hillary would say, "what difference does it make now?" These poor folk are screwed up (one way or the other) for the rest of their lives. It's either a mental jail or a physical jail, they both suck.

[Baz]

What if you forget to put your shoe(s) in the backseat?

Forgetfulness is forgetfulness.

Having children (including the 4 legged variety) is not for everyone.

Severe penalties should be in place for adults who are remiss in their responsibilities and duties.

You get arrested for stealing don't you? Assault? Murder? Well dipchits like this should be thrown overboard in shark infested waters.

[1990C4S]

Originally Posted by SilberUrS6

It can actually happen, so don't be too quick to call "B.S."

Did your wife also google 'heat death toddler' and 'how to survive in prison' just before this happened? It has been reported that this guy did...and the first thing his wife (reportedly) said to him at the police station was 'did you say too much'...and his statment to police 'there was no malicious intent'.

None of this makes me suspicious. Just an accident.

[Typ616]

I think that to pass judgment, you should at the very least have a young one of your own and possibly not have had a normal night sleep in over a year... Then you might understand HOW it can happen. Not saying it should, not saying this one wasn't an idiot... but "how" - I can understand...
There have been a few times that I was awake most of the night for days on end because of one of my kids, and I drove to work and once there, had *no idea* how I got there - no recollection whatsoever of driving... Leaving the kid in the car - assuming he fell asleep (easily done in a car) - is horrible and it never happened to me, but I do understand how it *could*... And remember you don't need to pass any sort of test to be a parent, and if that wasn't an accident, they should hang the guy... But by the same token if you haven't had a difficult kid (one of mine didn't sleep a normal night for 2.5 years), you should probably not throw stones until the full story comes out... presumed innocent and all...

[vash]

Sucks the kid died. Rip little one.


Sent via Jedi mind trick.