Corona police Wednesday warned the danger of leaving a child inside a car after a baby was rescued from a locked car last week.
Police said they responded to a call about the baby, who was inside the unaccompanied vehicle alone with the engine turned off and windows rolled up.
Footage from the officers’ body-worn cameras showed the baby appeared distressed inside the backseat of the car when they broke through the side window to rescue him.
The vehicle’s internal temperatures reached more than 100 degrees, according to the Corona Fire Department.
The Corona Police Department warned parents to not leave their kids unattended.
Over the past 25 years, more than 1,000 children have died of heatstroke after being left or trapped inside a hot car, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Here are tips on preventing hot car deaths:
- Never leave a child in a vehicle unattended for any length of time. Rolling down the window or parking in the shade does little to change the interior temperature of the vehicle;
- Make it a habit to check your entire vehicle, especially the back seat before locking the doors and walking away;
- Ask your childcare provider to call if your child doesn’t show up for care as expected;
- Place personal items like a purse or briefcase in the back seat, as another reminder to look before you lock;
- Store car keys and fobs out of a child’s reach and teach children that a vehicle is not a play area.
If you see a child alone in a locker car, act immediately and call 911.